Category: Note

November 16th is the birthday of Michael D. Echanis (born 1950, died September 1978), a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted man. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device as a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was born and raised in eastern Oregon. Echanis was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a plane crash along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces. There was conjecture that the plane was destroyed in flight by a saboteur’s bomb. JWR’s novel Survivors …

After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress, sitting in its temporary capital of York, Pennsylvania, agreed to adopt the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union on November 5th, 1777. Of course, the last of the 13 states, Maryland, took until March 1, 1781 to ratify the agreement. Also on this day, Charles Dickens published the final installment of A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens’ circular.

On November 14th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted in Colombia, killing over 20,000 as nearby towns are buried in mud, ice and lava. Scientist studying the volcano believed an eruption was imminent and had recommended an evacuation of the area which was largely ignored, resulting in the high number of casualties.

Continental Army Brigadier General Richard Montgomery took Montreal, Canada without opposition on this day in 1775. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was also born in Scotland on November 13th, 1850.

Today is the birthday of USMC Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph “Dan” Daly (born 1873, died April 27, 1937). He was one of only nineteen men (including seven Marines) to twice receive the Medal of Honor. This is also the birthday of Corporal John Alan Coey (died 19 July 1975). He was the first American volunteer killed in Rhodesia. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest The following is another entry for Round 73 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from …

November 11th is variously known as Armistice Day, Veteran’s Day, and Poppy Day. It is the birthday of General George S. Patton, Jr. (born 1885, died December 21, 1945). It is also the birthday of Hugh Everett (born 1930, died July 19, 1982), the American physicist who first proposed the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) of quantum physics, which he termed his “relative state” formulation. And November 11th also marks Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), in 1965. Remember Rhodesia.

November 10th is remembered in the United States as the “birthday” of the U.S. Marine Corps. Coincidentally, the 10th is also the birthday of the late Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov, born in 1919, died December 23, 2013. He didn’t design a lot of different guns, but one of his few designs was the prototype for what turned out to be the world’s most widely produced assault rifles. Once an iconic symbol of international communism, the AK’s curved magazine profile has in more recent years become just a symbol of citizens being well-armed.

November 9th (1938) “Kristallnacht” Be forewarned, folks: Once a group in any society has been singled out, they can be systematically attacked. Someday it may be “Constitutionalists” who are targeted. o o o Scheduled for release on November 21st and highly recommended: Basic Survival: A Beginner’s Guide, by David Nash. The book’s foreword was written by James Wesley, Rawles. Full Disclosure: I will not profit from the sales of this book, other than the Amazon Associates sales commissions that I earn from links to any other book. The book is now available for pre-ordering. – JWR

We are still taking entries for our SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest but there are only three weeks left in this round. If you have an idea or an experience that you would like to write about, you could have the opportunity to qualify for some fantastic prizes! Just take a look at the nearly $11,000 worth of prizes that are offered in Round 73:

November 7th is the anniversary of the death of actor Steve McQueen (born March 24, 1930, died November 7, 1980). The many well-publicized exploits in his tempestuous life and his enduring persona are well known. However, the end of his life is actually the most noteworthy part of his legacy, even though it seldom gets much publicity outside of Christian circles; he came to Jesus after he had been diagnosed with mesothelioma. He died with his forefinger pointing to his key verse in his Bible– Titus 1:2. o o o The mass murderer at the Texas church appears to have …

November 6, 2014 is the 70th anniversary of the day that B-24 Liberator co-pilot Al Millspaugh was shot down over Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in 1944. James Wesley, Rawles got to know Al at some John Birch Society chapter meetings back in the late 1970s. Hearing his stories was fascinating. JWR’s novel, Liberators, is in part dedicated to Al Millspaugh.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest This has been another entry for Round 73 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. …

November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York.

On November 3, 1903, Walker Evans, the American photographer best known for his portrayal of America during the Great Depression, was born.

On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a declaration of intent to establish a Jewish homeland known as the Balfour Declaration. While Arab hostilities and the outbreak of World War II delayed the desired outcome, the Nation of Israel was eventually re-established in 1948. o o o Many SurvivalBlog readers have noticed that our Amazon Store is no longer working. Sadly, Amazon retired this feature at the end of October, 2017. However, if you would like to continue your support of SurvivalBlog as you do your shopping on Amazon, you can click the small button at …