Task & Purpose
Recent articles from Stephen Carlson
History
151 Years Ago, General Sherman Gave America Its Best Definition Of War
Read Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's response to the mayor of Atlanta and several city councilmen begging mercy for the city during the Civil War.
History
How Mandatory Military Service Started In The Civil War
On July 7, 1863, the first draft took effect in the North during the Civil War. It was a disaster.
History
How The Korean War Started 65 Years Ago
It has often been labeled the “Forgotten War,” but over 36,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and Chinese died in a conflict noted for its utter brutality.
News
What Changed And What Stayed The Same: How 2014 Impacted The Veterans Community
2014 was a year that brought many veterans issues into the spotlight after more than a decade of war.
News
The Man Who Killed The Bill To Combat Veterans Suicide
The long-delayed Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act failed to pass in the Senate, and departing Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn is the man to blame. Veterans are not likely to forget it.
History
The Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor Was About Oil
The attack on Pearl Harbor, which took place on Dec. 7, 1941, was a terrible shock to the United States. But it was United States’ economic sanctions that led the Japanese to start a war they could not win.
News
Who Is Ash Carter And Why Does He Make Sense As Defense Secretary?
In these days of international turmoil and budget woes, Ash Carter may be exactly what the Department of Defense needs.
History
The Story Behind The First Submarine To Sink A Warship
The Civil War resulted in many naval innovations, from sea mines to ironclads, but the first successful use of a submarine to sink a warship may have been the most revolutionary of them all.