ACG WebOps (22 July 2007)
Welcome to WebOps, Armchair General’s weekly recon of links to military history news, articles, websites, and more. Couple of big news items this week, with Operation Banner coming to an end, author James McPherson receiving the first Pritzker Military Library Award, and the Montana Army National Guard promoting their first ever female Colonel. Clicks away!
News
After 38 years of action Operation Banner is finally wound down – Belfast Telegraph
As the British Army ends the longest military campaign in its history, GOC Lieutenant General Nicholas Parker tells Brian Rowan why he does not use the word "war" to describe the conflict here.
{default}Sights, sounds of battle enthrall crowds – Brockville Recorder & Times
MORRISBURG — Visitors to Upper Canada Village got a glimpse into Canadian military history on the weekend as the village introduced a new program during its Military Re-enactment Weekend.
Chicago, IL (July 16, 2007) – James M. McPherson, whose outstanding historical work on the American Civil War has placed him among the top writers of our time, has been selected to receive the first-ever Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing.
Canada’s military history revisited – Osprey Media
"We have a long and proud military history in this country. But we’re not like Americans. We don’t boast about it or even talk about it much," said John Harris of the Canadian Military Historical Society, who was participating in the Echoes of Niagara’s Past event at the fort, showcasing 300 years of Canada’s military history.
Battle lines at Valley Forge – philly.com
Residents of Lower Providence Township who live next to Valley Forge are feeling like George Washington at the Battle of the Brandywine – completely outflanked.
Symposium to tie history, current warfare – Army Times
The Combat Studies Institute will hold a symposium to discuss the Army and enemy fighters who are not aligned with a sovereign nation.
Woman makes Montana military history – Montana’s News Station
Wednesday was a historic day for the Montana Army National Guard as they welcomed their female Colonel. The Guard promoted Patty Wood following 19 years of military achievements.
Museum obtains pieces of history – The Leaf Chronicle
The Fort Campbell Don F. Pratt museum has collected a couple of sought-after pieces of history that will put the 101st Airborne Division on the "go to" list of places to visit military relics.
Museum gets rare vehicle for display – Jacksonville Patriot
The M422-Mighty Mite Jeep, known as “The Mouse,†was the military’s smallest Jeep. Made of lightweight aluminum, it was produced from 1959 to 1963 at the end of the Korean War and developed for helicopter airlifts.
Articles
Archaeologists dig for buried history at Bragg – Army Times
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The longleaf pine forests on Fort Bragg where soldiers prepare for battle conceal more than the Army’s training secrets.
Kids charge into history – StarTribune.com
A Civil War Camp at Historic Murphy’s Landing taught kids that battle is scary, the military is hard work and the most frightening enemies are the ones you can’t see.
California Weekend Getaway: History Lessons Learned at Military Museums – La Canada Valley Sun
As a boy growing up in a small Central Washington farming community, one of my first recollections was that soldier in the framed picture that hung above my father’s roll-top desk. The helmet had four stars and the stern look on the soldier’s face was anything but friendly. Yet, there it was, my father’s prize possession, a photo he viewed so reverently that it maintained its prime location for several decades until my dad sold his newspaper and moved out of his office.
Hankering for history? These guys re-create it – mainetoday.com
School is out for the season, and Steven Eames of North Berwick is psyched about going in summer camp.
More accurately, Eames, a Mount Ida College U.S. history professor, will spend his summer break participating in a number of historical encampments that serve as living history examples detailing military life in the late 17th century and later.
Books – Movies – TV
Why Did Rome Fall? It’s Time for New Answers – History News Network
The epic scale of the Empire’s existence has always sharpened interest in its collapse, particularly that of the west, which ceased to exist on the deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476. Since Gibbon — while some role has always been allocated to outside invaders — explanation has tended to focus on a range of internal transformations and problems as the prime movers in the processes of Roman imperial collapse. By the mid-twentieth century, causation commonly concentrated upon preceding economic collapse.
Blogs – Netcasts
The British Empire (Part 2) – Military History Podcast
The British Empire is the largest (14.1 million square miles) and most populous (532 million people) empire in history. It is the reason why English is one of the world’s most important languages, why 1/3 of the world drives on the left, and why much of the world uses the parliamentary system. Another testament to its power is the fact that one of its former colonies, the United States of America, is the current hyperpower.
The Macedonian Soap Opera Show 14 – Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
When Alexander the Great bequeathed his empire “to the strongest†he set off a funeral contest that shook the world for decades. Murder, marriage, intrigue,and drama all feature prominently in the story.
This is the blog of the Plugstreet archaeological project in Belgium. This is a Great War themed project exploring sites around Comines-Warneton and Messines. 2007 sees the first fieldwork in Belgium, and builds on investigations in the UK. The project is being led by members of No Man’s Land – The European Group for Great War Archaeology and the Comines-Warneton Historical Society. The blog will include dig diaries written by various members of the team.
Philosophy of History – DrikoLand
Philosophy of History is an insanely thorough site with essays on ancient history, military history, and calendars, but the main draw is a historical overview of the rulers of every (and I mean every) civilization.
6th MS Infantry saw action around Cotton Gin at Franklin – Battle of Franklin
The 6th Mississippi Regimental flag, Company D, also known as Lowry’s Rifles. The 6th was in Adams’s Brigade, Loring’s Division. The 6th saw action to the right of Cleburne’s Division, assaulting the Federal line facing fire from Casement’s and Reilly’s Brigades.
WebOps is a weekly report linking to military history news and articles published in mainstream online media. Excerpts are taken exactly as they are on the noted source websites; quotation marks are not used. The hyperlinks are added by me as I can find them. Please visit the Armchair Forums to discuss the topics in WebOps. If you just can’t wait until Sunday for the next WebOps, plug yourself into the new del.icio.us Armchair General WebOps feed and get each link as its posted!
Stay Alert, Stay Alive!
Jim H. Moreno
