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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jul 26 2012 - 10:53pm

On May 12, 2012 the iconic first step in the Olympics began in Greece at the Temple of Hera in Olympia; with the first leg of the famous torch relay. On Friday, July 27th the world will watch as the final torch bearer completes their run through London, enters the Olympic Stadium, and lights the Olympic flame. However, what many don't know is that this well-regarded tradition actually began in 1936 at the direction of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich on behalf of the Berlin Olympics.

Now there is no

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jul 23 2012 - 8:47pm

Choice Magazine (a publication of the Association for College & Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association) in its August 2012 issue has just published it's review of Why Germany Nearly Won: A New History of the Second World War in Europe.

Choice praises Why Germany Nearly Won and not only recommends the book for all libraries and levels but states it contains an "an impressive operational overview of Operation Barbarossa and various battles on the Eastern Front, D-Day,

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jul 16 2012 - 5:16pm

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre (an organization dedicated to bringing to justice Nazi officials and collaborators responsible for the Holocaust) confirmed Sunday that it had found in Budapest, Hungary it's top wanted Nazi suspect - Laszlo Csatary. Csatary is said to be responsible for/participated in the deportation of an estimated 15,700 Jews while serving as a senior Hungarian police officer in the Hungarian ruled Slovakian city of Kosice.

An informer paid $25,000 provided the key information

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jul 9 2012 - 7:44pm

The July 1943 Allied invasion and occupation of Sicily is often panned by commentators, and there is no question that taking Sicily proved painful for the Allies. For instance, all told the Allies suffered nearly 25,000 casualties against an Axis army that fought a delaying campaign lasting over one month.  The Sicilian campaign however would prove to be an important learning experience.

For instance, the invasion provided invaluable experience in amphibious operations, including refining

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jul 3 2012 - 6:40pm

More bad news for the F-35 "Lightning" Joint Strike Fighter program - this time from the US Navy's Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert. In the July 2012 issue of the US Naval Institute's magazine Proceedings Admiral Greenert indirectly calls into question one of the key assumptions undergirding the development of the F-35C (the Navy's version of the JSF): the need for stealth.

As part of a larger article detailing why the Navy needs to focus on building dependable, affordable

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jun 28 2012 - 5:51pm

The days and weeks following the British led Eighth Army’s spring 1942 defeats at Gazala and Tobruk, followed up by the long retreat east has often been held up by some as one of the key points in the war when the Axis could have achieved perhaps a decisive victory in North Africa and severed the British Empire’s jugular at the Suez Canal.

In reality, the otherwise triumphant German General Erwin Rommel and his Panzerarmee Afrika hardly possessed the logistical backing or combat capability to

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jun 22 2012 - 7:39pm

Tomorrow the floating museum USS Texas will reopen to the public (in part) - with a patch having stopped the influx of water that had otherwise closed the battleship to public viewing two weeks ago. Nevertheless, the venerable battleship (the oldest surviving dreadnought) is not out of the woods; with smaller leaks remaining an ongoing problem.

Hopefully, the support is there for the Texas to soldier on (I have a personal affection for the ship as I visited her at age 10 and of course have

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jun 19 2012 - 8:53pm

This year the U.S. Air Force's B-52 "Stratofortress" heavy strategic bomber is completing its 60th year since it's first flight, and nearly 60th year of service. Capable of carrying nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance (or even "dumb" bombs for that matter), the youngest of these versatile and durable aircraft have been in front line service for 50 years!

Though widely regarded as perhaps one of the quintessential symbol's of the Cold War and the nuclear age the B-52 is also

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jun 16 2012 - 5:57pm

On June 14, 2012 the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its latest progress report for Congress on the most expensive weapons program in history: the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Unfortunately, in spite of years of delays, including further restructuring in 2011 and 2012 the result's to date continue to be nothing short of abysmal.

For instance, the GAO has found that:

Regardless of the program development cost overruns (see below) F-35 life-cycle operating and support costs are
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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jun 13 2012 - 5:29pm

The German army is currently raising from the Baltic sea floor a Junkers Ju-87 Sturzkampfflugzueg (or "Stuka") located in roughly 60 feet of water. Found six miles off the coast of the German Baltic island of Rugen, the aircraft is, according to reports, in good condition. 

Perhaps the most famous dive bomber of the Second World War, the Ju-87 "Stuka"served throughout the war as Germany's primary close air support aircraft.

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