The Chinchas War – Inside the Little-Known Conflict Between Peru and Spain Over Animal Turds

“The resulting two-year naval conflict would see ships captured, cities bombarded, ports blockaded, economies destroyed, and governments toppled.” WHEN IN 1864, a hotheaded Spanish admiral wanted to punish Peru for a perceived diplomatic insult, he…

Continue Reading... The Chinchas War – Inside the Little-Known Conflict Between Peru and Spain Over Animal Turds

Final Notes — ‘Taps,’ ‘The Last Post’ and Other Songs for the Fallen

“Both the Last Post and Taps share a common lineage. Each are derivatives of a Dutch tune from the 1600s called the Taptoe.” (Originally published on July 11, 2012) TAPS, THE SONG THAT’S BEEN PLAYED AT…

Continue Reading... Final Notes — ‘Taps,’ ‘The Last Post’ and Other Songs for the Fallen

The Forgotten Role of Indigenous Americans in the U.S. Civil War

“Some Indian factions taking up arms for both the Union and the Confederacy.” THE U.S. CIVIL WAR wasn’t just an internecine struggle between white Americans from the north and south. Native tribes throughout the United States…

Continue Reading... The Forgotten Role of Indigenous Americans in the U.S. Civil War

The Sawbones Will See You Now – A History of Battlefield Medicine

“There have been a number of leaders in the long history of military medicine that helped improve and modernize patient care. Here are a few of them.” “A PHYSICIAN is worth more than several other…

Continue Reading... The Sawbones Will See You Now – A History of Battlefield Medicine

How Not To Be Seen — The Art, Science and History of Camouflage

THE UNITED STATES military is abandoning its recently-adopted pixelated camouflage uniforms, according to the army newspaper Stars and Stripes. The drab grey digital scheme, known as the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), will be discarded after only eight…

Continue Reading... How Not To Be Seen — The Art, Science and History of Camouflage

Drinking with the Enemy – Opponents Fought by Day and Boozed Together By Night in the Transnistria War

The pages of military history contain a number of examples of soldiers sharing the occasional drink with their foes. For example, at the outbreak of the War of 1812, British officers stationed along the Canadian side…

Continue Reading... Drinking with the Enemy – Opponents Fought by Day and Boozed Together By Night in the Transnistria War