Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 2016 my wife and I were visiting the Pearl Harbor Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii for the second time. We had been to the museum during my Army R&R in May 1969 when I was nine months into my combat tour in Vietnam. On both occasions we spent time at the USS Arizona…Read More
The Blank Check
“A veteran—whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve—is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America,’ for an amount of “up to and including THEIR LIFE.” – Unknown Though I don’t agree entirely with the statement above, I appreciate its sentiment….Read More
A Tribute to a WWII Soldier
Today marks the day that President Roosevelt said would live in infamy, the day the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941. As a friend of mine might say, “What were they thinking?” Prior to that surprise attack, many in America were disinterested in engaging in what they believed to be a foreign war….Read More
Grateful for Their Service, Sacrifice
When my father, the Rev. Clarence McMahan, turned eighteen on April 10, 1945, he was immediately drafted into the United States Navy. Following boot camp, he was assigned to the massive naval base at Norfolk, Virginia where an important skill got him a job well above his Seaman First Class pay grade. He could type….Read More
Our Other Heroes
A kind, generous and good person died recently. Her name was Sara Beaty. Sara’s husband, John, was a career military man before the family returned to Dallas, North Carolina more than two decades ago. Sara stood by her courageous husband, an Air Force pararescue veteran of more than twenty years. Among his jobs was to…Read More
The Last Full Measure
Before and following the Civil War it was customary to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers or to decorate the graves of one’s family and friends. Decoration Day eventually became Memorial Day, a day when we celebrate those who have given their lives in our country’s defense. Today’s decorations are usually small American flags stuck…Read More
Duty, Honor, Country
I recently attended a funeral. I barely knew the person who had died. But I know and love his parents. My heart sank as I saw them standing solemnly at the front of their church, hugging those who took the time to comfort them. In their humble sorrow they acknowledged what we all know instinctively—parents…Read More
What Makes a Hero?
The following is a letter to the editor, which was published in the Gaston Gazette on August 1, 2015: That Sen. John McCain felt no compunction to respond to Donald Trump’s assertion that he is no hero illustrates one of the primary attributes of virtually every hero I have known — humility. Unencumbered by bone…Read More
My Books
