Category: Note

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 Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact …

November 11th is of course Veteran’s Day. If you value you freedom, then thank a veteran. It is also the birthday of General George S. Patton, Jr. (born 1885, died December 21, 1945). It is 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. November 11th also marks Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), in 1965. Remember Rhodesia. o o o With all the chatter about the election, some sad news got lost in the shuffle: Mike Dillon …

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. o o o Ready Made Resources is having a …

November 9th (1938) was “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 Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good …

I just heard that Janet “The Barbequer of Waco” Reno has died. I won’t pussyfoot around about this news. To be blunt, I’m always disappointed when I hear that a tyrant or Grand-Scale-Thug dies of natural causes. Never forget the 78 lives that were lost at Waco! And never forget that it was on Reno’s orders that young Elián González was forcibly returned to his father in communist Cuba, in 2000. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: …

We have some sad news; Don Kates, a yeoman advocate for American gun owners’ rights passed away on November 1st. Even the leftist Wikipedia describes him glowingly: “His scholarship and litigation played important parts in the modern renaissance of the Second Amendment. Additionally, Kates played a major role in bringing together scholars and opinion leaders. Along with Stephen Halbrook, Kates deserved the primary credit for making the Second Amendment scholarship an important topic of modern scholarly interest.”

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 Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the …

November 6th is the anniversary of the day that B-24 Liberator co-pilot Al Millspaugh was shot down over Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in 1944. He ended up in a Luft Stalag, until 1945. I got to know Al at some John Birch Society chapter meetings back in the late 1970s. Hearing his stories was fascinating. He retired as a Lt. Colonel in the California Air National Guard. He passed away on November 24, 2014 in Kelseyville, California. My 2014 novel Liberators was in part dedicated to Al Millspaugh. – JWR o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the …

November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 …

On November 3, 1903, Walker Evans– the American photographer best known for his portrayal of America during the Great Depression– was born. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a …

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. Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard …

November 1st, 1923, was the birthday of science fiction writer Gordon R. Dickson (born 1923, died January 31, 2001). Many of his novels and short stories, such as Wolf and Iron, have survivalist themes. November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history, Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a …

October 31st is Reformation Day.

My special thanks to SurvivalBlog reader A.P., who kindly sent me the gift of an autographed hardback copy of Robert A. Heinlein’s 1982 novel titled Friday. He sent me that book in lieu of a Ten Cent Challenge (10 cents per day) subscription donation.  I am humbled by the tremendous generosity of SurvivalBlog readers. Thank you! October 30th, 1735 was the birthday of President John Adams. (Other sources cite his birthdate as October 19, 1735.) He died on July 4th, 1826–just a few hours after the death of Thomas Jefferson. Safecastle’s October Mountain House Sale ends Monday. They are offering …

Good News:  All Seven Defendants Found Not Guilty In Refuge Occupation Trial.  In retrospect, this headline makes today’s Quote of the Day (see below) particularly apropos. October 29th is the birthday of fighter pilot Vermont Garrison, an American who fought in three wars– WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was born in 1915 and died February 14, 1994, in Mountain Home, Idaho. This is also the birthday of World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin (born 1921, died January 22, 2003). o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 67 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth …