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MAJ Pete Hegseth, U.S. Army National Guard (2003-2006, 2010-2014, 2019-2021)

MAJ Pete Hegseth, U.S. Army National Guard (2003-2006, 2010-2014, 2019-2021)

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Pete Hegseth's military career is a testament to the dedication and service of America's citizen-soldiers. From his early days as a Princeton graduate to his current role as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense, Hegseth's journey exemplifies the spirit of the National Guard and the impact of military service on public leadership. His experiences in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan have shaped his perspective on national security and military readiness, bringing a unique blend of frontline experience to the Pentagon's highest office. Let’s take a closer look at Pete Hegseth’s education, military service, and journey to his nomination for Secretary of Defense. Pete Hegseth’s Early Years and Education Peter Brian Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, in Minnesota. He was the first child of Brian and Penelope "Penny" Hegseth. Brian was a basketball coach for high schools across Minnesota before retiring in 2019, while Penny is an executive business coach who has taught with the...

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The Ship That Wouldn’t Die

The Ship That Wouldn’t Die

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The USS Laffey (DD-724) was laid down 28 June 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine. She was launched 21 November; sponsored by Miss Beatrice F. Laffey, daughter of Medal of Honor recipient S1c Bartlett Laffey. Commissioned 8 February 1944, Cdr. F. Julian. Becton as her first "Captain". The USS Laffey's Heroic Beginning After shakedown, the Laffey traveled the world in the war effort. She was off the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Off Cherbourg, France where an unexploded shell bounced off her hull above the waterline and did little damage. Rescuing a badly wounded Japanese pilot off the Philippines. Firing support in Leyete Gulf and Ormoc Bay. Transported intelligence to McArthur in the Philippines. Supported landings at Mindoro and Luzon, Iwo Jima, and Kerama Retto.  That is where this story begins. USS Laffey’s Dangerous Mission on Okinawa Commander Frederick Julian Becton, Captain of the destroyer USS Laffey (DD 724), took the radio message his communications officer...

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PFC Harold Agerholm, U.S. Marine Corps (1942-1944)

PFC Harold Agerholm, U.S. Marine Corps (1942-1944)

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PFC Harold Agerholm had a quiet start to his life. After qualifying from school in Racine, Wisconsin, he worked as a multigraph operator for the Ranch Manufacturing Company. Then in July 1942, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve. Upon completing his recruit training in San Diego, California, Harold Agerholm was sent to the Headquarters and Service Battery, 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, and 2nd Marine Division. He received further training for eleven months with his battalion in Wellington, New Zealand. In January 1943, Agerholm was promoted to Private First Class. In November 1943, a year and a half after first signing up, the young marine took part in the war, engaging with Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll. It was the first time American forces faced serious opposition to a landing. The 4,500 Japanese soldiers on the island were well prepared and fought to the last man. They extracted a high price for their deaths. Throughout the incredibly intense battle, which lasted...

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To Hear Silence by Ronald W. Hoffman

To Hear Silence by Ronald W. Hoffman

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Five years ago, the author returned to Vietnam on a battlefield tour with his wife, Nancy. In a conversation with the guide, Bill Stilwagen, he mentioned how his unit had accomplished a lot in its first 13 months in-country, yet when he looked on the internet, he couldn’t find anything. Stilwagen challenged him by saying, “Why don’t you write a book about it?” Hoffman took the challenge seriously.

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DEL Service Reflections of AVT1 Daryl Harrington, U.S. Coast Guard (1988-2001)

DEL Service Reflections of AVT1 Daryl Harrington, U.S. Coast Guard (1988-2001)

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I was in high school at the time of Pearl Harbor. I had never heard of Pearl Harbor and didn’t know where it was. That was true for many of my friends, but we sure found out quickly. We all became Gung Ho and were ready to enlist; however, we had a couple of months left before graduation, so I opted to finish school. Many of my friends did enlist, going into the US Army Air Corps to become pilots. That was my desire also, but my father said “NO.” He was in the First World War, captured by the Germans, and gassed. He was shot, and he lost three fingers on his left hand.

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Teenage Sisters Persuaded German Soldiers

Teenage Sisters Persuaded German Soldiers

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When the Nazis steamrolled into the Netherlands in May of 1940, Jannetje Johanna "Hannie" Schaft and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen were just 19, 16, and 14 years old, respectively. Jannetje Johanna "Hannie" Schaft and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen As for the Oversteegen sisters, their mother, Trijn, had left their father years before. Freddie states of this, "She was just fed up one day - we lived on a large ship in Haarlem, but my father never made any money and didn't pay anything for the barge. But it wasn't an ugly divorce or anything - he sang a French farewell song from the bow of the ship when we left. He loved us, but I didn't see him that often anymore after that." Immediately after the Nazis came to town, despite the risks, Freddie goes on, "During the war, we had a Jewish couple living with us, which is why my sister and I knew a lot about what was going on…" At the same time, their mother also had her daughters join in with her in the rather dangerous task of posting and...

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DEL Service Reflections of AVT1 Daryl Harrington, U.S. Coast Guard (1988-2001)

Service Reflections of ET2 David E. Hendrick, U.S. Coast Guard (1960-1964)

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I was in high school at the time of Pearl Harbor. I had never heard of Pearl Harbor and didn’t know where it was. That was true for many of my friends, but we sure found out quickly. We all became Gung Ho and were ready to enlist; however, we had a couple of months left before graduation, so I opted to finish school. Many of my friends did enlist, going into the US Army Air Corps to become pilots. That was my desire also, but my father said “NO.” He was in the First World War, captured by the Germans, and gassed. He was shot, and he lost three fingers on his left hand.

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Pershing and His Pig’s Blood Bullets

Pershing and His Pig’s Blood Bullets

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It might be difficult today to imagine the United States as a true colonial power, but in the years following the 1898 Spanish-American War, the U.S. became a major global power. The idea of American Imperialism crept into the public consciousness for the first time. During the war, the United States captured several key Spanish possessions, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.  The War in the Philippines At first, it looked as if the U.S. was fighting to grant the Philippines its independence, but when the Americans annexed the islands instead, the resistance fighters that fought the Spanish started fighting the Americans. Combat in the Philippines meant bloody ambushes, lightning-fast raids, and fierce hand-to-hand combat at times. American forces suffered more troops killed in action in the first four months of fighting in the Philippines than they suffered in the entire Spanish-American War.  No rebel group fought more fiercely than the Muslim Moros of the...

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Cpl William (Bill) Ralph Blass, U.S. Army (1943-1945)

Cpl William (Bill) Ralph Blass, U.S. Army (1943-1945)

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William (or Bill) Ralph Blass who served in the US Army between 1943 and 1945 is better known for his contributions to the fashion industry. However, his efforts during World War II are as remarkable as they are unusual. William Ralph Blass was born on June 22 1922, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His father was a traveling salesman, his mother a dressmaker. Sadly, Blass’ father committed suicide when Bill was 5. Bill took after his mother, sketching Hollywood-inspired fashions in the margins of his schoolbooks. At the young age of fifteen, he sewed and sold evening gowns to a New York manufacturer for $25 a pop. At seventeen, he had enough money to move to Manhattan and study fashion at Parson’s School of Design. One year later, he was the first man to win Mademoiselle’s Design for Living award. In 1942, he enlisted in the US Army. Bill Blass and the Art of War Deception Bill Blass’s talents were recognized by the Army and he was assigned to the 603rd Camouflage Division, a top-secret...

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WW2 – The Battle of Iwo Jima

WW2 – The Battle of Iwo Jima

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The year 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the most storied contests in American military history. Many are familiar with the myriad stories surrounding the battle, from the two flag raisings over Mount Suribachi to any of the 27 men who received the Medal of Honor for their actions on the island. What fails to get a mention in history books is the sheer scale of the battle itself and the defensive planning of the enemy's commander. The Strategic Importance of the Battle of Iwo Jima More than 110,000 Americans fought to capture Iwo Jima from the Japanese Empire. The commander of the Japanese forces on the island, Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi, knew he would be fighting a losing battle. Kuribayashi decided he would design his defenses to inflict the highest possible number of casualties on the invading force as he could, even with only some 20,000 starving, emaciated men at his disposal.  Today, Iwo Jima is the only U.S. Marine Corps...

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Bullets in My Bottom Drawer: The Lighter Side of Combat by John Montalbano

Bullets in My Bottom Drawer: The Lighter Side of Combat by John Montalbano

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For some, finding humor in war and combat might seem to make light of a very heavy situation. Some might even find it offensive. But those of us who have served in combat know that humor, even dark humor, is sometimes the only way to break the tension, ease the pain, and build the camaraderie that comes with fighting in a war.  John Montalbano, a retired Vietnam veteran who was drafted into the Army in 1967, would not only agree that humor is important, even in war, but he literally wrote a book about it. Montalbano would spend some thirty years after the war writing and rewriting the manuscript for his book, "Bullets in My Bottom Drawer: The Lighter Side of Combat," which he finally published to great fanfare in 2024.  Montalbano served in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division and later during an extended tour of duty as a courier for the 93rd Military Police Battalion Headquarters. Today, he writes about his unit’s experiences in-country and has been featured in Vietnam...

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