Rock Island Arsenal, and Arsenal Island has many storied individuals that have graced its history. Some were just simply passing through, while others lived and worked on the island. From the establishment of the Arsenal in 1862 to present, this installation has been known for its familial legacy and generationalContinue Reading
Springtime brings about certain memories for individuals on the Mississippi River. For most it is a time to get out and enjoy the sun after a gloomy and cold winter. However, for businesses and citizens who live near the river, it is a time of concern and worry over what’sContinue Reading
The M20 Super Bazooka was a modification and advancement on the pre-existing Bazooka and Panzerschreck following the end of the Second World War. The need for the modified system was established after 1942, when the Germans captured a large quantity of the original M1 Bazooka’s. The reverse engineered Panzerschreck wasContinue Reading
Known better as the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), the 38th Parallel was the approximate boundary which separates the free South from the communist North in Korea. It is the precursor to the modern Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which is situated mostly on or just north of the MDL. The line wasContinue Reading
Following the questionable 1804 Treaty, the fallout from the 1814 Battle of the Rock Island Rapids, and subsequent establishment of Fort Armstrong in 1816, tensions with local native populations were at a peak. Continued spats of engagements between settlers, Rangers, and Soldiers continued with isolated killings up thru 1832. FortContinue Reading
For months following the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the atmosphere was full of static and concern in the United States. Save for a few isolated breakthroughs, the Americans were largely on the defensive in the Pacific. The Doolittle Raid in April of 1942 was a lashing effort toContinue Reading
During the 1804 Pike expedition to survey the Mississippi river multiple islands had been noted as being strategically important. One of the islands that stood out from the rest due to its sheer size and composition; was Rock Island. The island known as Rock Island stood towering over the MississippiContinue Reading
On 13 DEC 2003, a joint task force consisting of multiple military and U.S. federal agencies commenced Operation RED DAWN near the Iraqi city of Tikrit. Task Force 121 was to search two locations in the town of ad-Dawr situated to the north of Tikrit on the Tigris River. TF121Continue Reading
The end of World War I signified the end of the last of the major old-world empires: the Ottoman Empire. As Ryan Gingeras wrote in his book The Fall of the Sultanate, “It is likely that no study can bridge the numerous divides and antagonisms that mar contemporary perceptions ofContinue Reading
A shaky agreement had been established in what used to be the Northwest Territory of the fledgling United States in 1804. It was during this time, after the Louisiana Purchase, that the United States had forged an agreement that ceded a large tract of land from the local Sauk andContinue Reading
