Travelers who take side roads sometimes find themselves driving back in time to a small town bedecked with American flags, like a movie set for “The Music Man.” Such a town in western New York State bears the celestial name of Angelica. It comes complete with a town square, spired churches, antique stores and plenty… continue
FORGING THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD Read more of this series Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Despite their poor initial showing, Air Guardsmen flew 39,530 combat sorties and destroyed 39 enemy aircraft during the Korean War. But, the ANG paid a high price in Korea as 101 of its members were either killed or… continue
The 14th anniversary of 9/11 and the flags that flew as patriotism rose that day spur a question: What happened on other September 11s when American flags flapped? FOSTERING MUSIC “Oh! Susanna” is probably Stephen Foster’s most famous song, and it was first performed on 9/11 in 1847. But he also wrote the music for… continue
FORGING THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD Read more of this series Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 An excerpt adapted from Chapter II of The Air National Guard: A Short History, by Dr. Charles J. Gross, National Guard Bureau Historical Services Division, 1994 The Air National Guard as we know it today — a… continue
On September 9, 1850 – 165 years ago – California entered the Union after being a republic, not a territory of the United States. It was as if a foreign nation had decided to join the U.S. – and it brought its own state flag along. “On June 14, 1846, a small band of settlers… continue