Category: War

Short Takes – The Last Veteran

NEW VIDEO!  Take a Short Takes break with me and learn the history of one of the most valuable and rare artifacts from all of World War II—the only known surviving aircraft, Japanese or American, that fought in the 1942 Battle of Midway! https://youtu.be/q8exf6ySKjs #nathanaelmiller, #sparks1524, #shorttakes, #navalaviationmuseum, #WorldWarII, #Navy, #USMC, #MarineCorps, #warplane, #warbird, #Dauntless, … Continue reading Short Takes – The Last Veteran

New Short Takes Video – The National Museum of the Pacific War!

New Short Takes video!! The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, preserves the boyhood home of naval hero and victorious World War II Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, as well as provides a comprehensive look into the many facets of the Pacific Theatre.  Join me for a brief visit to this remarkable treasure … Continue reading New Short Takes Video – The National Museum of the Pacific War!

Veteran Talk – Twenty Years Later

(Niceville, Florida; 11 September 2021) – Twenty years ago today I was standing on the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as we spun up the Tomcats of VF-213 for a routine day of flying over the Arabian Sea. One of our civilian tech reps had a small camera and waved to me, … Continue reading Veteran Talk – Twenty Years Later

Mental Health: Open Letter to Afghanistan Veterans 2

(Niceville, Florida; August 21, 2021) – It’s been five days now since we watched the horrific farce play out in Afghanistan. I can’t even look at any of my ‘Navy Pride’ stuff.  T-shirts, ball caps, anything.  Looking at it fills me with such rage, such betrayal, such a singular sense of senseless futility that I … Continue reading Mental Health: Open Letter to Afghanistan Veterans 2

Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 1

(Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; July 1, 2021) – The biggest, loudest, bloodiest, most violent single battle ever to burn the landscape in North America began today…158 years ago. The three-day Battle of Gettysburg was the culmination of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s second campaign to invade the North, taking the war to the Yankees for a change … Continue reading Past Exploration: Gettysburg 158, Part 1

Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 2

(Niceville, Florida; June 19, 2021) – The United States Navy is attracted by the same warm, sun-washed weather and smooth beaches of Florida that lures tourists to the Sunshine State every year. These environmental conditions led Naval Air Station Pensacola to become the center of naval aviation training, boasting not only a first-rate facility for … Continue reading Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 2

Travel Log: Forwards-Backwards in Time

(Feb. 4, 2018) Welcome back! I took a brief break while I was back in Norfolk, Virginia, tying up some business with the Department of Veterans Affairs. I’m back on the road and, if you look at my State Map, you’ll notice I’m in North Carolina. I’ve gotten ten states and the District of Columbia … Continue reading Travel Log: Forwards-Backwards in Time

Travel Log: John Brown Marches On

(Jan. 10, 2018) John Brown cast a long, long shadow across the United States in 1859, a shadow so long he is (in my opinion) rightly considered one of the final causes of the Civil War. I did my master’s thesis on him while I was still active duty, focusing on how, despite his spectacular … Continue reading Travel Log: John Brown Marches On

Travel Log: Poetic Controversies

(Dec. 15, 2017) Outside my window it’s a cloudy morning over Ft. Knox, Kentucky. For three years (2007 – 2010) I was an instructor at the Defense Information School on Fort Meade, Maryland. My former students are all over the map now, and many have built highly successful careers for themselves, some in the ranks, … Continue reading Travel Log: Poetic Controversies