Replies

“... don’t know if you are a historian, or just know this stuff, …”

Thanks for the courteous reply, and the interest.

I’m just a dabbler.

Spent 29 years in uniform, 13 of them performing operational tests for a number of systems, and scientific analyses of technical issues for a Joint major command. Interacted with every specialty, every service branch, most of the intel agencies, and people from several allied nations. Had to advise a great many senior officers who rarely had much of a technical background, nor could they spare much time to absorb details before rendering decisions.

All of it put a premium on brevity, clarity, and precision of verbiage. One sharpened the wits, or went under.

After leaving active duty, I worked for over 13 years in gun repair, for a small family-owned dealership that also sold gun parts. Working in the trade demanded clarity and understanding: fixing something properly, or determining which part a customer really did need, had big implications for safety - at least as much as it did for customer satisfaction.

And for some 20 years, I was a member of a historical reenacting outfit portraying footsoldiers of the Continental Army of the period 1775-1783. Historical implements, living conditions, and activities had to be accurately reproduced, or the entire effort would fizzle.

All of it led me to conclusions:

1. Accuracy and precision are central in historical demonstration and narrative.

2. There are bonds connecting all members of all the armed services, living and dead, from the present all the way back to the inception. One of the few things that really does bind the nation together.

Misconceptions and erroneous notions abound. So it’s worth the effort to get the stuff right.

Don’t take my word for it. Everyone is urged to get out there, perform their own research, do their own investigations, scratch their own noggins, and reach their own conclusions.