Attacking the Homeless Veteran Issue
By Perry Smith Over the course of the next few months a series of articles will highlight how the Augusta Warrior Project is helping veterans throughout the Aiken/Augusta area. At the outset, it is important to emphasize that the Augusta Warrior Project is not a government agency but is a local non-profit organization. It is located right here and is staffed by dedicated, patriotic and hard...
Read MoreThe Triple Nickel Story: Lessons From Some Special Fighter Pilots
By Perry Smith Two weeks ago, At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. I addressed a “dining out” for the 555th Fighter Squadron. Since I had flown 180 combat missions with the “Triple Nickel” during the Vietnam War, I was asked to relate my experiences of so many years ago. The squadron, which is permanently based at Aviano Air Base in Northern Italy, was participating in the famous “red flag” and...
Read MoreMilitary Scholars–Another Blessing from Fort Gordon
By Perry Smith Two weeks ago at Fort Gordon, I conducted a workshop on executive leadership for 64 Army officers (mostly majors). They had just commenced a four-month course of the Army Command and General Staff College. These officers are highly experienced professionals, half have a masters degree and many will move on to positions of high responsibility in the Army. Covered in the...
Read MorePreserving the Legacy of Two Remarkable Americans
By Perry Smith A nation may be judged, in large part, by how well it honors its heroes. One powerful way to honor the valiant is to preserve and enhance the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to serve their nation. Mark Albertin, Augusta’s outstanding videographer, has just completed a 55 minute DVD on a remarkable Army officer. When Duty Calls: The Life and Legacy of Don...
Read MoreAmerica’s Wars In The Past 75 Years
This is part two of a series of articles on major threats to the American republic since the early 1940s. By exploring the past, we may be better able to understand the present and to consider how the future may play out. When examining the major crises that America has faced in the past three quarters of a century a term that is commonly used is “existential threat”. This is a threat, either...
Read MoreRecollections of Pearl Harbor–Looking Back Seventy-Four Years
By Perry Smith Every Sunday morning throughout the year 1941, my sister and I would be picked up from our small, rented home in Honolulu and taken to Sunday School. My father, an Army captain, was stationed at Fort Ruger which was located on the slopes of Diamond Head. At about 7:15 AM on the morning of 7 December, 1941, we climbed into the canvas-covered Army truck, and sat down on the benches....
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