“It’s not the right thing to do, but I did it.” That’s 92-year-old Hyman Strachman, a World War II vet, after spending eight years and his own money duplicating and sending thousands, according to The New York Times, (Apr. 26) “hundreds of thousands of copies of The Hangover, Gran Torino and other first-run movies from his small Long Island apartment to ship overseas.” “And,...

Should The Los Angeles Times have published photos of American soldiers in Afghanistan posing with enemy body parts? The story’s sub-head reads: “An American soldier says he released the photos to the Los Angeles Times to draw attention to the safety risk of a breakdown in leadership and discipline.” “The Army launched a criminal investigation,” reporter David Zucchino writes, “after The Los...

Although faith is not an ethical value, its importance in driving ethical conduct should not be underestimated. In fact, the word faith comes from the Latin fidere meaning ‘to trust.’ During his thirty-five-year career in the Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak served two tours of duty in Vietnam and rose through several command and staff positions to become Commandant of the Marine...

I first spoke with vascular surgeon John Baldwin in March of 2000 when I was collecting stories for my book, What Do You Stand For?  That initial contact led to an eleven-year friendship. Before going to Vietnam, John specialized in open-heart surgery but decided upon the broader fields of general and vascular surgery, he says, “to give my people skills...

Today is Veteran’s Day, but it also marks the 90th Anniversary of the original name for this holiday, Armistice Day. The day was created to celebrate the war to end all wars, World War I.The Armistice took effect on November 11, 1918 at 11:00 A.M. or at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. That date quickly became a...

After losing all four limbs to a roadside bomb on Easter Sunday 2009, U.S. Army infantryman Brendan Marrocco doesn’t even come close to showing the kind of emotional cracks to his confidence many others would surely face, including me. To look at photos of Marrocco, 23 during his year-long rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center is to witness a strength of character and...

Major John Baldwin served as chief of thoracic surgery with the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Viet Nam.  For his extraordinary service, he received the Bronze Star.What follows is John’s own Memorial Day message offered to a home town crowd. It’s a message of remembrance, frustration and hope. “Welcome to Twain Harte’s Memorial Day Flag Dedication, Parade, and Picnic.  We are most...

Memorial Day originally called Decoration Day, was established as a day of remembrance to honor all those who fought on either side of the War of Secession or Civil War. In 1868, General Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic John Logan, designated the thirtieth day of May as the day on which graves of dead Union soldiers should...

Although faith is not an ethical value, its importance in driving ethical conduct should not be underestimated. In fact, the word faith comes from the Latin fidere meaning ‘to trust.’ According to the Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, “Faith is an attitude or belief which goes beyond the available evidence.” Trusting can sometimes be difficult, but it can uplift and strengthen our resolve...

In August 2009, Specialist Michael Crawford tried to commit suicide by way of a handful of painkillers with a chaser of whiskey.  “It is just a dark place. Being in the W.T.U. is worse than being in Iraq.” The W.T.U. is the Warrior Transition Battalion, “a special unit,” the NY Times writes, “created to provide closely managed care for soldiers with physical wounds...