Podcasts about M1 Garand

I'm joined by author Andrew Biggio who wrote The Rifle And The Rifle2: Back to the Battlefield.Andrew bought an M1 Garand, showed it to a WW2 vet neighbor and thus was put on a mission.Then I speak with Scott Powell, author of Rediscovering America, and we talk about Memorial Day, it's roots and meaning.

You can find Part 1 here: https://youtube.com/live/9fJkcUsZWQcThat episode was part of our live show, so use timestamps, but it has some excellent tidbits sprinkled throughout, including work on his games Jurassic Park game Trespasser, Darksiders, and more on MOH 1. Chris's website: https://coffeewithcross.com/Chris's Brain Arcade podcast (available on all platforms):Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NIy0wwuBojbr2lsvwdavgApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-arcade/id1805214243YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Brain-ArcadeEltectracast: https://electracast.com/podcast/brain-arcade/ Chris is also featured on the documentary series "Game Changers", which is available on HBO Max & Discovery:https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/discovery-channel/limited-series-game-changers-exploring-rich-history-nostalgic-gaming-premieres Chris's game dev credits: https://www.mobygames.com/person/11691/christopher-cross/credits/ Panel:  @CoffeewithCross   @retrotechdad   @StubbsStuff  Timestamps:[00:00] Intro: Welcome Chris Cross[02:12] Brain Arcade: Focuses on the psychology of game design[08:43] Chris's Early Career: QA tester at Blizzard (Warcraft, Diablo)[09:53] Fighting Champ: A story about his Street Fighter 2 days[14:33] Staying Fit: Advice for staying in shape after 40[26:11] Transition to Game Design: Moving to Activision and then DreamWorks Interactive[27:57] Becoming Lead Designer: How he landed the lead designer role for Medal of Honor[31:59] Medal of Honor Concept: The initial idea was "GoldenEye in World War II"[32:17] Technical Challenges: Creating a first-person shooter on the original PlayStation[37:35] Medal of Honor Frontline: The Game He Wanted from the Start[38:59] Game Weapons: Details about the M1 Garand and other weapons[43:33] Realism vs. Realistic: Explaining this concept in game design[45:45] Character Design: Behind-the-scenes details on character design and animation[57:47] Music and Rhythm: The use of music and rhythm in Medal of Honor Frontline[01:04:16] "Rule of Sevens": Applying this concept to game design[01:06:19] Recalls Stephen Spielberg's reaction to the first Medal of Honor game[01:11:35] His desire to work on different game genres besides FPS[01:22:09] A story about a missing comma breaking a game build[01:30:09] Space Marine: Discusses working on this classic WH40K title[01:33:52] Working on Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse[01:37:17] Working on Metro: Last Light[01:38:50] Chris reveals a Frontline glitch where looking down stops enemy animations[01:47:01] Discusses using AI as a tool in his current work[01:47:52] Reiterates the goal of the Brain Arcade podcast[01:49:32] The Importance of understanding the player's perspective[01:53:34] Anecdotes and funny concepts for games[01:55:04] There are no N words in the Medal of Honor games[01:57:02] Thank you Chris , check out his podcast![01:52:32] Discussion on potential titles for this episode[01:57:37] Thanks for watching! 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰✨Became a Supporterhttps://patreon.com/RetroHandhelds or Discord sub• Access to Patron only Discord chat & marketplace• Earn merch, enter giveaways, and get free stuff• Device Modding Services

In This Episode Erin and Weer'd discuss: Henry Repeating Arms joining the many gun companies who have fled anti-gun states; the 9th Circuit's ruling that Hawaii's handgun purchase permit and police inspection is unconstitutional; the 9th Circuit's ruling that California's magazine ban is constitutional, and one  pro-gun judge's amazing dissent; the DOJ moving to make it easier for some people to restore their firearms rights. Lara Smith of the Liberal Gun Club talks about how a Senator in Minnesota is trying to weaponize the mental health system; and Myles talks about grail guns. Did you know that we have a Patreon? Join now for the low, low cost of $4/month (that's $1/podcast) and you'll get to listen to our podcast on Friday instead of Mondays, as well as patron-only content like mag dump episodes, our hilarious blooper reels and film tracks. Show Notes Main Topic Gun maker closes up shop in N.J., taking 146 jobs with it to the Midwest Trump Administration Moves to Revive Process for Restoring Some Convicts' Gun Rights Hawaii Handgun Purchase Limit, Inspection Requirements Ruled Unconstitutional En Banc Ninth Circuit Upholds California Ammo Magazine Ban Dissent video in 23-55805 Duncan v. Bonta Lara Smith Liberal Gun Club Minnesota bill labels Trump derangement syndrome as mental illness Minnesota lawmaker who introduced ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome' bill resigns after soliciting a minor charge Southpaw Corner Old Marine Reunited with his M1 Garand after 71 years Weer'd Beard- Family History Karabiner-S: The East German Unicorn SKS North Vietnamese SKS 9x19 Skorpion on the Range Shooting the Czech vz61 Skorpion: Machine Pistol or PDW? Guide to Colt Snake Guns  

In This Hour:--  For his 5-gun wish list, this guy wants 5 different M1 Garand rifles.--  New Year's Eve celebrations and gun safety.--  Perhaps make the trip to Camp Perry and the National Championship this year.Gun Talk 12.29.24  After Show

Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks '96 discusses the absolute importance of standards and integrity in leadership, and how a new, more rigorous approach at the Academy will build that in to cadets making them Day-1 leaders. SUMMARY Brigadier General Gavin P. Marks, Commandant of the Air Force Academy, shares his journey from being a young man in Atlanta, Georgia to becoming a pilot and eventually serving as the Commandant. He discusses his experiences at the Air Force Academy, including basic cadet training and the challenges he faced. General Marks emphasizes the importance of perseverance, leaning on support networks, and maintaining high standards in leadership. He also reflects on the impact of the Academy on his personal and professional development. General Gavin Marks reflects on his personal journey and the impact of his wife on his military career. He discusses the importance of being adaptable and humble as a leader and the unique responsibilities of command. He shares his decision to return to the Air Force Academy and the changes he is implementing to better prepare cadets for the challenges of great power competition. General Marks emphasizes the love and passion that the leaders at the Academy have for developing future officers and encourages listeners to continue dreaming big.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "How you do anything is how you do everything." "There's always somebody better." "I want to make sure that they feel like they got their money's worth from a military development perspective or military training perspective."  "The leaders at the Air Force Academy, from top to bottom, love deeply, deeply love the institution, and are incredibly passionate about the development of these young men and women into officers in the Air Force and the Space Force." "Continue to dream big. Don't let anyone dissuade you from goals that you have. And as it relates specifically to the Air Force Academy, it is absolutely worth it."   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   CHAPTERS 00:00:  Introduction and Background 01:53:  Returning to the Air Force Academy 02:52:  Young Gavin Marks: Childhood and Calling to Serve 07:04:  Challenges and Growth in Basic Cadet Training 08:29:  Lessons in Leadership and Perseverance 11:45:  Choosing the Air Force Academy and Pilot Training 15:06:  Reflections on the Academy's Impact 20:52:  Leadership Experiences as a Cadet 23:43:  Lessons in Leadership and Perception 27:55:  Successes and Career Progression 32:35:  Meeting His Wife and Reflecting on Tinker Air Force Base 37:25:  Personal Journey and the Impact of Relationships 57:54:  Changes in the Life of a Cadet 01:05:48:  Challenges and Partnerships 01:09:39:  Rigor and Expectations 01:11:09:  Love and Passion for Developing Future Officers 01:12:34:  The Value and Worth of Attending the Air Force Academy   TAKEAWAYS The importance of perseverance, resilience, and grit in overcoming challenges, especially during difficult experiences like the Air Force Academy. The value of having a strong support network, including family and friends, to help navigate challenging times. The significance of leadership roles and experiences during the Air Force Academy in shaping one's development and future success. The Air Force Academy's focus on evolving its training and development methods to better prepare cadets for the challenges of great power competition. The deep passion and commitment of the Air Force Academy's leadership in developing leaders of character who are ready to serve their country.   ABOUT GEN. MARKS BRIG. GEN. MARKS' BIO Brigadier General Gavin P. Marks is the Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He commands the 4,300-member Cadet Wing and more than 200 Air Force and civilian personnel. He guides military, leadership, character development, Basic Cadet Training and Expeditionary Skills Training for the Air Force Cadet Wing in addition to providing facilities and logistical support.  Brig. Gen. Marks earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996 and his pilot wings from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, in 1998. Brig. Gen. Marks has served as a T-1A instructor pilot (at both the undergraduate and graduate training levels) and flight examiner, an E-3B/C instructor pilot and flight examiner, an Air Force Intern, a staff officer on multiple joint staffs, and has commanded at the squadron and wing levels.  Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Director, Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.   Brig. Gen. Marks is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours in the T-3, T-37, T-1A, E-3B/C/G, RC-135S/U/V, TC-135W, OC-135B, and WC-135C aircraft.   - Copy credit:  AF.MIL   CONNECT WITH GEN. MARKS INSTAGRAM: @‌USAFACOMMANDANT     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest:  Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks '96  |  Host:  Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 00:01 My guest today is Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks, USAFA Class of '96, and currently serving as the commandant of the Air Force Academy. This is his third command position since becoming a member of the Air Force. Gen. Marks was drawn to service as a young man in Atlanta, Georgia, and joined the Junior ROTC program in high school before coming to the Academy in 1992. After he graduated, he became a pilot and flew for 26 years, in addition to continuing his personal and professional development. In 2000, Gen. Marks graduated with distinction from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. In 2015, he again graduated with distinction from the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. He has held command positions at the squadron and wing levels. His attachment to the Academy has remained strong, so much so that 20 years ago, he committed to returning and had been working his way back to USAFA when he was called to service, assuming his role as commandant in 2023. Gen. Marks, it is a pleasure. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Thank you for being here.   Brig. Gen. Marks 01:03 Thank you very much. It is an honor for me to be here. It really is.   Naviere Walkewicz 01:07 This is an exciting time for us, because especially for me, being a Class of 1999 — “Gold will shine” — I had to get that in there. We go back to Arnold Hall in Basic Cadet Training, when you were the commandant of cadets during Basic Cadet Training for us. So I remember you vividly as your taps from your shoes hit the floor in Arnold Hall. So this is truly a pleasure, sir, thank you.   Brig. Gen. Marks 01:29 It is absolutely surreal to be back, and especially during this period that we're in right now during Basic Cadet Training, and as I interact with basic cadets and the cadre, it's hard not to reminisce about that time. It's hard not to share stories as well. I'm careful that I don't inundate the cadets with my stories of when I was the Basic Cadet Training commander. But it's just it's absolutely wonderful to be back here. Yeah, really is.   Naviere Walkewicz 01:53 Well, we'll get to hear some of those, I think, you know, from your perspective, back then, and also, more recently, as we weave through this podcast. But really excited. And where we like to start is when we go back to young Gavin Marks. So Gen. Marks, tell us about what you were like as a child.   Brig. Gen. Marks 02:08 My mother would tell you that I was precocious, that I was inquisitive. I was very, very talkative as well. So I have an older brother, and we are the sons of two parents that have been married for 55 years, and that's important, because 55 years is a long time, and it taught me the value of being committed. It also taught me the value of what love really looks like, up close and personal as well. I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, as you mentioned, so I'm a product of the South. I am a product of public schools, Baptist churches and Southern upbringing. So, I love sweet tea. I love this disgusting candy called Sugar Babies. And just about anything that you think of with regard to the South, you could probably say that that's pretty accurate as it relates to me and my personality as well. I call everyone ma'am and sir, regardless of rank, just based on my upbringing as well. I really would tell you that I got a calling to serve in the military by virtue of JROTC. I followed my brother into JROTC. We went to different high schools, and he enjoyed it, but it just wasn't his calling. I got involved in it and knew immediately that it was something that I wanted to do. I love shining my shoes. I love shining the brass belt buckle that I had on my trousers. I love marching. I love drill. I did Color Guard. I did Drill Team. It was wonderful for me. It was, I think, the thing that was missing in my life in terms of knowing what my niche was going to be. And so, my professor at that time in that particular JROTC program, I think he saw something in me, and he was the first one to actually bring up a military service academy. Prior to that point, I hadn't heard of anything about West Point or Annapolis or the Air Force Academy at all. And so, I took a trip with my father and we went out to all three and I can't swim, and so Annapolis was pretty difficult for me to wrap my mind around. West Point was too gray. You know, this is a 17-year-old at the time, or a 16-year-old at the time thinking these things. It's like, “Wow, this was really gray and dreary.” No offense to West Point. And then I got to the Air Force Academy, and I remember stepping off the plane and again, coming from Atlanta, Georgia, to see the snow-capped mountains, to immediately be able to feel the difference in the air, I knew that this was the place that I wanted to be. And so, I told my dad right then, as we stepped off the plane, I said, “This is it.” And he said, “What do you know about this place? You haven't even gone here yet.” But I knew, and the rest, as they say, is history.   Naviere Walkewicz 04:48 Wow. So, neither your parents served and your brother was the first kind of introduction to Junior ROTC. What was that like growing up without having that, in Atlanta, not having that military, I guess, presence around you, and you said that's what you learned was missing. But what kind of got you to that point?   Brig. Gen. Marks 05:08 So, I would say, just to be clear, so dad did not have a career in the military, but my father and my uncle both were drafted in Vietnam, and so to that extent, what I would say is, while there wasn't discussions or a lot of military impact in my household, I think, more than anything else, just through watching television, et cetera, there was something about the discipline. There was something about the professionalism. There was something about how revered those that are in service to their nation were in this country that really drew me to the profession of arms. It was just something about the fact that this is a career field. This is a profession that is extremely highly regarded across all facets of life, and I wanted to be a part of it.   Naviere Walkewicz 06:03 So, as a young man in public school, did you find yourself drawn to things, like, I started to think about programs that were like discipline-based, like taekwondo or sports in that manner. Did you have some of those experiences as young man?   Brig. Gen. Marks 06:16 I played — I ran track, following after my brother. My brother thrived in track and field. I followed him, and I absolutely loathed it. I was not athletically inclined, and try as I might, you know, I work out and I try to stay in good shape, but I would not call myself necessarily an athlete of the highest order by any stretch. And so that absolutely was an albatross around my neck coming to the Air Force Academy, especially during basic training, especially during Jacks Valley.   Naviere Walkewicz 06:52 Well, let's talk about that a little bit. Was there a specific instance in Jacks Valley where — because I feel like now you might be able to run circles around some of us.   Brig. Gen. Marks 07:01 Well, I will tell you — so, what I remember a lot about Jacks Valley, I remember the power-line runs. And back then we had the M1 Garand, 11, 12 pounds and we carried it everywhere. And it was heavy. You know, 12 pounds doesn't seem like it's heavy, but it's heavy when you're at port arms, and you're running for miles and miles on end, and the altitude, obviously, is vastly different. Jacks Valley is very dusty. You know, “Jacks Hack” is a thing. And so, all of those things, in aggregate, really caused me a lot of trouble. And so, what I remember is thinking often “I'm not going to make this. This is not going to happen for me,” in terms of graduating out of basic training, because I am falling behind in my runs, et cetera, et cetera. But I made it. I made it.   Naviere Walkewicz 07:56 I love that. And I think for some of our listeners, the key thing, even just in that one was, you know, you didn't give up. You recognized you just had to keep working at it, and you got through it. And you're now serving as a commandant of cadets. So, I feel like there's definitely a story here that talks about you and your grit and your perseverance and everything throughout these years.   Brig. Gen. Marks 08:15 The thing that I took from the Air Force Academy experience probably more than anything else — and there are several things that I took from it — is that this is a an incredibly difficult journey that is made better if you think about it from the perspective of just taking one step at a time every single day. Just show up, just show up, just be present, and that's 80% of it. If you just keep showing up, you are going to be OK. And so that was my mentality: They were going to have to kick me out. I was not going to self-eliminate at all. And so, no matter how slowly I ran back, then they were going to have to kick me out and I was going to keep showing up. The other thing is, I would say this: I had tremendous teammates. Our squad, well, in Jacks Valley, our flight, which became our squadron — we were so close, even back then. And if one of us was falling behind, “Come on, Gavin, let's go. Pick it up.” And that really helped a lot, because you didn't want to let your teammates down.   Naviere Walkewicz 09:22 So, we got a little glimpse of Jacks. So I'm just gonna' dial it back just real quick, back to the point where you said to your dad, “This is it. This is where I'm going.” So, what was that journey like from Junior ROTC to getting into the Academy? Because I think a lot of people want to know what that looked like for you.   Brig. Gen. Marks 09:38 So, I knew that from probably my junior year in high school that I wanted to go into the Air Force or to into the military. I didn't know which branch to be perfectly clear. So I applied to all three service academies. I applied to The Citadel and I applied to VMI and to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Those are all of the ones that I could think of at the time, and the visits helped a lot to crystallize in my mind what I wanted to do. But what really also helped was this fascination with flying. Originally, I wanted to be an astronaut, a dentist, a doctor, an actor, and so many different things when you're growing up, but the idea of flying was really at the forefront of my mind as well. I also knew I wanted to lead. And so, combining those two desires, it made sense to go to the Air Force Academy. And again, I couldn't swim. I tried as much as I possibly could to learn how to swim through the YMCA, et cetera. I'm a product of basic swimming at the Air Force Academy — twice. If I'm being completely candid with you and your listeners, if I could have swam at the time, it is likely that I would have gone to Annapolis, and it is likely that I would have been a Marine, because that is much more, at least in my thinking back then, in line with my personality. Because I am — I will just say the military pillar of the Air Force Academy was, as the young people would say, that's my jam, for sure.   Naviere Walkewicz 11:15 I can see that. While I appreciate that, I can see that. We're so glad that we were able to get you here at the Air Force Academy. So, let's talk about your time at the Academy. You wanted to be an astronaut. You turn the dials toward pilot. Let's talk about what that experience looked like.   Brig. Gen. Marks 11:30 So, the Academy was very, very challenging. What made it challenging primarily was the balance of so many requirements, and that's on purpose. It is rigorous on purpose because the profession of arms requires it, and the nation needs it, it deserves it. I wasn't prepared for it. High school — I wouldn't say high school came easy for me. I would say I did well in high school, and I did well in high school by virtue of cramming and by virtue of instincts. So, I came to the Air Force Academy not really knowing how to study. I didn't know how to prioritize tasks or manage tasks well at all. And the Academy humbled me tremendously.   Naviere Walkewicz Can you share a story about that?   Brig. Gen. Marks Oh, well, I would say this, and the dean, who I know has also been on the Long Blue Leadership podcast as well, she would cringe. So, I never got an F, I'm proud to say, but I certainly am on the team of Ds. I received a D in Aero, and, if I recall, Astro, civil engineering when we had that as a core as well. And that was an incredibly humbling experience for me, because prior to that point, I had never had anything in my career lower than a C in high school or anything like that. And so that kind of thing makes you think, “What am I doing wrong here?” And as you are engaged in that type of introspection, you're still having to get ready for the PFT, and you're still having to get ready for this chemistry test, and you're still having to shine your shoes and get ready for this knowledge test, et cetera, et cetera. And so it was just in my mind, based on my training to that point, not enough time in the day for the reflection that I needed in order to make some changes to my habit pattern. And you're just trying to survive, and you're just showing up every day, one step at a time. So that made it very difficult: the inability for me to study, to not know how to study, the prioritization of tasks. I loved the military piece, and I probably spent more time on that than I should have spent on other things.   My roommates would often comment on the fact that I would be shining my shoes for hours, and I would bypass the need to study until the last minute, until the test came. And that didn't work out very well for me. The other thing I would tell you is this: I wouldn't say that I got homesick, but it was a long way from home. It really was, and so going home really helped to fill my cup back up in terms of just being able to reacclimate with my family and those that were around me — extended family, church, friends, et cetera. It was a long way from home.   I developed a lot of great friends in my squadron. We were in the same squadron all four years, Way of Life committee, gospel choir at the time as well. And then this team of friends that I had on the Cadet Honor Guard as well. What an interesting year that was on the Cadet Honor Guard. But we became incredibly close, and they're still close to this day.   Naviere Walkewicz 14:47 So, I'd like to talk more about the Honor Guard, but before we get there, I think it's important for people to understand that when you find yourself in those tough situations in life and in experiences, how did you pull yourself out of that? You know, you obviously got through. So, something had to change. How did you maneuver that?   Brig. Gen. Marks 15:06 So, I will start by saying this: I talked to my parents a lot, and their support was incredibly helpful for me. They approached it from a different perspective. You know, I learned a lot of great things from both of my parents: hard work, my father's work ethic, my mother and unconditional love and what that truly means. And so, when I'm talking to my parents about the rigors of the Academy experience, my mom would say, “You know, baby you can just quit and come on home and go to Georgia Tech. It's right around the corner, and we'd love to have you, and you don't need this.” And my dad would say, “You better not quit. If you come home, it's for Christmas and you're going back.” And reflecting on both of those comments, my mother was basically saying, “No matter what, we're gonna' love you.” My dad was saying, “No matter what, you can do this, I know you can do it.” And the amalgamation of those emotions and those messages really helped me a lot. It let me know that no matter what, I have support, but I also have the confidence of my parents as well, that leaning on friends is — the friend groups that I talked about as well was really important. And then to a large extent, I would say this: The ability to dig deep inside and pull yourself up even when you are struggling, or even when you are faltering, to be able to show up the next day is really, really important, that grit, that resilience — the thing that we preach to our cadets about now we try to instill in them through the rigors of the Academy experience. It's really important. It's not only important at the Air Force Academy, it's important throughout life, because life obviously throws so many different curveballs your way, right?   Naviere Walkewicz 17:11 I appreciate that you shared that leaning into your support network, not only for their love and their confidence in you, but also it sounds like there was a bit of asking for help and what that was, and so I think that's important for people to hear too. While you are having to pull yourself up, there's no shame in asking for help along the way.   Brig. Gen. Marks 17:27 Not at all. And I would tell you, my mother has so many letters at home and letters that I don't even remember writing during my time at the Air Force Academy, where I was explaining to her different things that were going on that would bring a smile to my face now, because I would be shocked that I would have said these things to my mother or my father in terms of what was taking place and the help that I perhaps needed at the time.   Naviere Walkewicz 17:53 That's great perspective. So, you mentioned Honor Guard, and what an incredible year. I was not part of Honor Guard, but I did appreciate how they helped us stay militarily ready. What was that journey like for you?   Brig. Gen. Marks 18:08 Hard. It was very, very difficult. What I would say is this: So the Cadet Honor Guard attracted me because of the discipline that they had, that they have because of what they represented for the institution as well. These were the cadets that in every formation, carried our nation's flag. These were the cadets that were held up as the example of what a good uniform looked like and what military professionals should strive to look like and resemble and the precision with which they drilled was incredibly impressive to me. And so, when they had an opportunity to showcase what they were about to the fourth-class cadets at the time, so that we could show interest in different clubs, et cetera…   Naviere Walkewicz 19:02 Because you had to try out for honor guard. Is that correct, sir?   Brig. Gen. Marks 19:06 I'm trying to think if I would call it a try-out.   Naviere Walkewicz That's probably not the right word.   Brig. Gen. Marks I think it's probably one of the greatest examples that I can talk to about just showing up, which is to say, “Come one, come all, and there's going to be a lot of physical activity, a lot of running, a lot of drill work, et cetera, all meant to condition you and build your endurance for challenging times when you're in formation, and bad weather and things of that nature, because you know, when you're carrying the nation's flag, it's a no-fail mission, and you can't drop it. And it doesn't matter that it's 20 degrees and 50 knots of wind, you can't drop it.” And so how do I build that into you: the importance of what you're doing means to not only this institution, not only to the Cadet Wing, but to the nation as well? It was a grueling year. It was a hard year. And so I think we started probably with 70-ish fourth-class cadets, and our team ended up at the conclusion at about 16. And that was our team, and that was the team that we carried forth throughout the remainder of our time at the Air Force Academy. And again, I still stay in touch with them to this day. It was a fantastic group of people.   Naviere Walkewicz 20:35 That's incredible. So aside from Honor Guard and some of the time that you spent as a cadet, let's talk about your leadership as a cadet, because you've had multiple positions of leadership.   Brig. Gen. Marks 20:47 So, the two that resonate most with me right now, and that I gained a tremendous amount from — the summer leading into my two-degree year I was the Basic Cadet Training group training non-commissioned officer. That's a mouthful, and so the privilege of being able to, and I'm gonna' use air quotes, “greet” every new appointee as they arrived on the bus to the base of the ramp was given to me, and it was quite an honor. And so, I got to get on the bus and welcome every single basic cadet in the Class of 1998. I will never forget that. And then the next summer, I was the Basic Cadet Training commander, like you were talking about in your earlier comments,   Naviere Walkewicz I definitely recall that.   Brig. Gen. Marks I had a lot of fun, and beyond the fun that you have as cadre during Basic Cadet Training, I had a lot of fun in this regard. As the training NCO, seeing the progress, the development of the basic cadets from I-day, or from that first day of basic training, until the Acceptance Day Parade, if you will, or until we handed them off to the Jacks Valley cadre was something that I really appreciated, because it was very, very noticeable: the changes in drill, the changes in customs and courtesies, the changes in uniform wear, the changes in Mitchell Hall decorum, the changes in how they kept their rooms, et cetera. It was noticeable. And I really appreciated being able to see the fruit of the labor of the cadre. As the BCT commander in so much that you can learn executive-level leadership as a cadet, it taught me a lot about that. So this is the first time that I had an opportunity to conduct my own staff meetings, to build my own staff, to chart a vision, to set objectives, to hold accountable. It taught me a tremendous amount beyond the fun and the great memories of walking across the stage with my taps on during the Fourth of July at A-Hall, which I absolutely still remember to this day, I absolutely remember to this day. But both of those experiences are indelible for me at this point. And I talked to the BCT cadre about them now, because I want them to know that this time that they have is so precious, precious not only because of the memories that they're going to make, but precious because of the impact that they're going to have on these basic cadets. They will remember them forever. They will remember them forever.   Naviere Walkewicz 23:30 Truth. So, I think one of the things that is so unique about that: You said, it was the first time you had the experience of conducting kind of your own operations, or what that looked like, the battle rhythm, the vision. I think a lot of our listeners, you know, they look at you, you're a general, you've been a leader. You know all this. What are some of the things you learned about yourself in that experience that maybe you would share just some lessons in leadership in the early parts of your leadership journey?   Brig. Gen. Marks 23:55 So, I learned very early on, probably as a three degree, that standards really, really matter. It crystallized for me as a probably a three degree, and it just continued to resonate throughout the rest of my career that standards matter greatly in our profession, and perhaps across all walks of life. They matter because of the fact that if we allow someone to not be questioned about meeting standards, we will likely allow further deterioration down the road and erosion down the road, which could lead to catastrophic occurrences. And I've seen it in numerous instances, whether we're talking about accidents, aircraft accidents, whether we're talking about units that have toxic cultures. Because oftentimes it starts with the breadcrumbs that you can walk back to the erosion of standards. There's a line that I love in John Wick. I'm a big John Wick fan. The fourth movie, the bad guy, I don't remember his name, said that his father used to tell him, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” And that is so powerful to me. It is so incredibly powerful. “How you do anything is how you do everything.” I believe that. I truly, truly do. And I learned that for the really, for the first time, as a three degree. I would also tell you perception matters. And I learned that as a firstie as well. How you conduct yourself — as Patton would say, “You're always on parade.” It's important. And if your staff thinks that you are cutting corners here or showing favoritism there, whether that's true or not, it's their reality, and they are going to respond based on how they view their reality, how they view the world in that context. And so, I as a firstie through the experience of the BCT group commander, began to truly pay attention to what perceptions I was perhaps enabling. How about I put it that way? Those are two that come to mind in terms of lessons in leadership that I learned here at the Air Force Academy. When I talk about the idea of building a staff and running a staff meeting, they seem minor. Building the staff was important because it was at that time that I realized that while I may have some things that I'm pretty good at, there are a lot of things that I'm not, and I want to surround myself with people that are good in those areas that I'm not. And so I was very, very deliberate in who I surrounded myself with from a BCT group staff perspective. And then I would also say it's important to, especially when you walk into a group for the first time, to know what you're going to say, to have an agenda for how you want to run things. Because that first impression when you walk in as the leader, as the boss, as the commander, et cetera, it's gonna matter. It is absolutely gonna matter, and you will never have another opportunity to make a good first impression. And so, I could go on and on. I learned a lot from my experiences here in leadership at the Air Force Academy.     Naviere Walkewicz Those are excellent examples.     Brig. Gen. Marks That's why I wanted to come back. While I understood what standards meant and the importance of them as a three degree, I didn't fully put together the impact that the Academy had on me until I was a captain. Leaving here, probably like you and others, I drove away as fast as I could.   Naviere Walkewicz The rear-view mirror…   Brig. Gen. Marks Absolutely, and I told myself that I would never be back here.   Naviere Walkewicz Really?   Brig. Gen. Marks I really did at that time, because enough time hadn't passed to allow me to reconcile all of the wonderful things that had taken place in my development during that four-year period. And it wasn't until I was a captain that I realized that who I was as a function of the Air Force was in large part due to the development that I had received at the Air Force Academy. I credit my parents as well, for sure, but the Air Force Academy, for sure, had a lot to do with that, and I wanted to give that back to other cadets.   Naviere Walkewicz 29:03 Was that in a moment of reflection that you realized that, or was that — did something happen where you were like, “Wow, that's something that I kind of took from the Academy.”? How did you come to that realization?   Brig. Gen. Marks 29:15 I was having — a lot of positive things occurred to me in my career. At that point, I was having a lot of successes, and at some point, I thought about the fact that while certainly I am truly blessed, and certainly there is some luck that plays into that as well, I at some point, through introspection, just kind of look back on the journey that I had gone through from being the knucklehead kid from Atlanta, Georgia, to being this captain in the Air Force, and the metamorphosis that occurred and how that happened. And, so I can only attribute it — some of that, again, is the development over time, when your parents are teaching you things and instilling values and virtue into you, and at the time, when you're a know-it-all teenager, you don't think that it's sinking in, but it does, and it shapes you over time. So, some of it's that, but some of it was the Academy itself. I will tell you this: So, there was a program that I participated in as a junior, I guess, in high school, where I got to come to the Academy for an overnight visit. And I stayed with a cadet, and what I remember about that is this: So I think I stayed two nights. But the first night I went to a pay phone to call a friend, and there was a $20 bill at the top of the pay phone. And so, I went back to the room to tell the cadet, “Hey, somebody left some money there,” and he said, “Don't worry about it. Whoever left it, they'll remember that they left it there, and they'll come back and get it.” And I was bewildered. I was like, I don't understand how that's possible. OK, so the next night, I went to the same pay phone, and it was still there. And I was blown away, and I never forgot that, that this is a place where honor really, really matters. And certainly my parents have integrity, and certainly they, you know, preached and instilled those types of values, but here at the United States Air Force Academy, it was practiced every single day, and it was visibly discernible to me throughout all facets of the Academy experience that undergirding these, you know, push-ups that I was doing and this chemistry test that I was taking, et cetera, was this honor code and these core values that all of us together share. And I just absolutely love that. Reflecting on that over the course of seven years changed my life, truly, for the better.   Naviere Walkewicz 32:15 Thank you for sharing that story. And I actually got chill bumps just thinking about, well, I mean, but you're, right now, you can't think about a lot of places where you can leave something and it's probably still going to be there, or if it was identifiable, it would probably been returned. So, I think that is something we can be so proud of. So, you mentioned, sir, some of your successes. They were kind of, you know, happening outside of the Academy once you'd graduated. Let's talk about what your career looked like and what those successes were.   Brig. Gen. Marks 32:50 So, I was a casual lieutenant. And I guess the claim to fame that I have is that I was Gen. Lorenz's casual lieutenant. So Gen. Lorenz was the commandant immediately after I graduated, went on to become a four-star general, and he is still incredibly active here in the Academy community, and being his casual lieutenant, specifically, his special projects officer, was enlightening in a lot of different ways. Gen. Lorenz is a great leader. He's a unique leader as well. And I learned a lot from being in his space, being in his presence, and seeing how he conducted business. Interestingly enough, when you walk up to the office spaces of the Cadet Wing where my office is, in the hallway is a display of all the previous commandants and their biographies. That was one of my projects as a lieutenant, believe it or not, a long, long, long, long time ago. And so, it gave me an opportunity to be able to research all of the previous commandants to that point and see the commonalities between them as well. So I did that for a little less than a year, and then I went to pilot training. Pilot training was hard. Pilot training was very, very hard. In fact, I came back, if I recall correctly, either in the middle of pilot training or just as I was graduating to talk to the Cadet Wing, the Class of 1998 — one of the classes, '98 or '99 — invited me back to talk at M5.   Naviere Walkewicz I'd like to say it was us.   Brig. Gen. Marks I would like to say it was you all too.   Naviere Walkewicz Can I claim it?   Brig. Gen. Marks And you all gave me the bird, and it was wonderful, and I still have that bird in my office to this day. And I talked about how hard pilot training was, but maybe you'll remember this. I listed the top five hardest things that I've ever done in my life to that point, and I can't remember — I remember No. 1, but I can't remember the exact order, but it was something along the lines of the four-degree year, the entire cadet experience, pilot training, SERE at the time, and my four-degree Honor Guard experience was No. 1 for sure. But all of that to say, just being able to come back to the Academy was a tremendous honor, especially for this silly second, actually, I was a first lieutenant at the time. So went to pilot training and then was selected to be able to stay at pilot training and be an instructor. I went from Columbus to Vance Air Force Base and did that for three years in the T-1, which I absolutely loved. The T-1, that aircraft was probably, if I had the resources, if I was well healed, I would buy myself a T-1 and if I could afford the maintenance. I absolutely love flying that plane and enjoyed my time in AETC. And really, there's nothing special about me. When you enjoy what you're doing and feel like you have a passion for it, oftentimes you're going to do well. I think that's that holds true for just about anybody. I did pretty well in the T-1. After that, I went to an internship at the Pentagon, and so I was there on 9/11 and I got my master's in D.C., left there. After that, I went to Tinker Air Force Base. I did not want to go fly AWACS, and I love AWACS now, but I did not at the time. And I remember when I drove up to the gate for the first time after my year in D.C., and the Security Forces airmen that saw me at the gate asked me, “Are you OK?” just based on the, luckily, based on the look on my face after driving cross country. But what was special about Tinker is that that is where I truly learned, as I would call it, meat-and-potatoes flying, stick-and-rudder flying, no kidding, no thrills and frills. In the AWACS aircraft, you've got to know how to move that jet where you need it to move. You've got to know how to compensate for the aerodynamics of the roto-dome when you're refueling, you've got to know how to fly. And I so it was very enjoyable in that regard, and just being operational was enjoyable. Tinker, though, what I will always credit Tinker for is this: Tinker is where I met my wife.   Naviere Walkewicz 37:15 So I was gonna' ask when the magic happened.   Brig. Gen. Marks 37:19 Yeah, it happened at Tinker. We met through a mutual friend and so, interestingly enough, I always say that the two best decisions I ever made in my entire life, I show on my left and my right hand: my wedding ring on my left, my class ring on my right. Best decisions I've ever made for myself. My wife is retired Air Force 23 years, and she was a first lieutenant, I was a captain. We met through a mutual friend and became friends, and over time, over a period of about a year and a half, we started dating. I asked her to marry me after another year and a half or so, probably a little longer than I should have waited. So, I arrived in 2002, we were married in 2005.   Naviere Walkewicz 37:59 Was her uniform better than yours, sir.   Brig. Gen. Marks 38:05 Oh, goodness, no. So my wife, she will listen to this. My wife would tell you that she has had a wonderful 23-year Air Force journey. Started off with 13 years enlisted time and went to OTS, et cetera. My wife would tell you that I am, I think the term is, I am very “ate up” in terms of the military. Hopefully your listeners know what that means.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:32 Yes.   Brig. Gen. Marks She was not, at all. Not at all. That was not her personality.   Naviere Walkewicz They say opposites attract.   Brig. Gen. Marks 38:35 But I think really, more than anything, what I loved about her, beyond her candor and her honesty, was her compassion as well, her intellect, her ability to be able to see the world in a different way than I saw it — for us to respect each other's opinions about different things, for her difference of a net of opinion, but how she viewed the Air Force and her journey through the Air Force differently than I viewed mine. But we respected each other's nonetheless. And my wife is the reason why I'm still serving and I say that because of this, if my wife was not still in love with this Air Force journey, I would have stopped. I absolutely would have, because being married — and our family is, I hate to say it, is more important to me, truly it is. And so, I would have absolutely stopped. But she loves it. I loathe PCSing. Can't stand it. I'm in a great career field, but my wife loves it, loves the excitement, loves thinking about what's next. And so as long as she's enjoying it, I'm enjoying it too. Yeah, she's my best friend, my best friend for sure. So, we met after that, got married. Fast forward, I left Tinker and went to a Staff assignment in Suffolk, Virginia, stayed there for about three years, went back to the T-1 as a director of operations, a commander in the 99th of Tuskegee Airmen heritage. Then I went to National War College, went to Staff, went back to Tinker, 10 years as the vice wing commander, Offut as the wing commander, back to Staff again, and then here as the commandant.   Naviere Walkewicz 40:32 So, when did the idea trickle back to the mind of, “I want to get back to the Academy?” How did that come into play? Was that just a natural progression of your career? Or how? How does one navigate that?   Brig. Gen. Marks 40:43 So, it was at the time this realization that it had changed me so much and so positively. How can I be a part of another person's just incredible admiration for the experience and appreciation for the experience that they had while they were here? And so, I started investigating becoming an AOC, because at the time, that was where my status in life was in terms of rank, and was the most appropriate, if you will. It just didn't work out for me in terms of the timing.   Naviere Walkewicz 41:24 So, you'd already been looking throughout your career to come back.   Brig. Gen. Marks 41:27 At different points in my career, so about the seven-year point is when I said, “No, I would really like to go back and give back.” And now it's a function of trying to maneuver the timing and all of the other facets that make up an assignment and career progression to try to see how that could work. As an Air Force intern, that counted as my in-residence intermediate developmental education. And so, because of that, I was fast-tracked to staff immediately. And so, timing just didn't work in terms of that intermediate level, getting back to the Academy and making a difference. And so, the next opportunity for me was as a lieutenant colonel, because at that time, our group commanders were group AOCs and they were lieutenant colonels, the opportunity didn't present itself and command of a flying squadron did, and so I absolutely jumped on that with both feet. The idea kind of was off in the back portions of my brain after graduating from command and it didn't come back into the forefront until I got back to the Pentagon because I view the Pentagon as most people do. You know, it's a necessary evil. There is tremendous virtuous work that takes place at the Pentagon. It really is. And I certainly don't mean to poo-poo it. Staff work is important. It's necessary. I wanted to get back into, no kidding, base, desperately. And it had been 27 years-ish to that point. I'd come back for coronavirus. I was working for Gen. Brown and for Secretary Kim. I came back for corona and that was one of the first times that I had been back. And I knew I had to get back here. And interestingly enough, I brought my check to Doolittle Hall. I wanted to be a life member, and I had my $800 check in my pocket. My wife gave me permission, and I was like, “I'm ready.” And I'll never forget this. I don't remember who I talked to, but she said, “Hey, if you wait just a few more months, it'll be free for everybody.”   Naviere Walkewicz Membership for all graduates!   Brig. Gen. Marks I was like, “Sweet!” And then she happened to look at my ring, and she's like, “You got a chip on your ring. Why don't you hand that over to us? Your buying this ring came with a lifetime warranty.” And I was like, “This is unbelievable. This is like, divine intervention. I gotta get back to this place. I love it.” Yeah, I'm so happy to be back here.   Naviere Walkewicz 44:18 That is wonderful. So maybe before we go into arriving back here, kind of some of the surge of what that experience was like — what were some of the leadership nuggets, or the leaders that you worked either under with as peers, those you learned from that worked under you, that you kind of continued to evolve yourself as a leader. What were some of those that shaped you?   Brig. Gen. Marks 44:39 So, I think I will start with my time at Tinker as a flight commander. I think one of the things that I learned then was the importance of being credible in an operational flying squadron. Yeah. Your worth is, especially in a flying squadron, especially as a CGO, your worth is in how well you fly, speaking for pilots in that career field. And so, when you fast forward that to now, what I tell junior officers is this, “As a CGO, your No. 1 objective, your sole objective, is to be a master of your craft. Nothing else really matters. Being a master at your craft is the recipe for success, and if you are not able to do that, it is going to be difficult for you.” So, I learned that at Tinker Air Force Base, I would say, fast forwarding a little bit further to some of my Staff assignments, I would imagine, one of the reasons why I have never been incredibly fond of Staff is because I have — there has never been a good fit for me in terms of the staff assignments that I've been in. I could argue maybe the last one was perhaps, but where I'm going is this: It taught me the need to be able to be adaptable to learn as you go, to be open to learning, and to be humble enough to ask a lot of questions. And I think that that's a tremendous leadership trait to have, to humble yourself to your team, to come in and say, “I don't know everything. I don't know all that you all are doing.” Your stories even, “Please help me to understand. Please teach me.” So Staff, for all of the pains at times, really has developed me to have a better appreciation for that. I would tell you in command, “Oh, my goodness, command is all I ever want to do,” which is both naive and probably a very elementary way of thinking about things I just love command, and command has taught me so much.   Naviere Walkewicz 47:16 What do you love about command?   Brig. Gen. Marks 47:20 So, command is special because there isn't really, not really. There isn't period another position in the military where you are statutorily and regulatorily responsible for mission and people, nothing else. There is no other position in the Department of Defense military like command and to — especially at the unit level, the squadron level — to have such an immediate impact on mission like you are able to, as a squadron commander, and have such a positive impact, direct impact on airmen's lives. It is so incredibly fulfilling. And as you progress and command at higher levels, the direct impact on individuals lives lessens, but the direct impact on mission grows exponentially. I absolutely, not only that, but as you command at higher levels. While the impact, and I probably should have said it this way, the impact that you would have on so many individual airmen's lives' lessons, the impact that you can have on an individual airman's life magnifies based on rank. It is significant also. And I always — one of the things that I tell people all the time is the… it's an oversimplification, but the only reason to have rank is to do good, is to do good things, to make things happen in a positive way that affect positively mission and benefit airmen's lives. That's it. That's all. And if it if rank becomes something different than that for you, you are in the wrong business, or we've given it to the wrong person, if I'm being honest with you.   Naviere Walkewicz 49:11 Thank you for sharing that. So how did you find out that you — how did it work to become the commandant of cadets? Is that something that you're selected for? How did you find out?   Brig. Gen. Marks 49:23 So, I — well for your listeners, there's a dream sheet, if you will. We have a module that we go into and identify things, jobs, positions, perhaps even locations that we think that our skill-set matches up nicely for or that match our family circumstances, and in that module, I talked about the fact that I wanted to be able to give back to the Air Force Academy in this way. And talked about the fact that for 20 years or so, give or take, I have been trying to get back here to be able to have an impact. And I listed some of the things that I felt enabled me to have that type of impact. And then I got a call from the colonel's group or the general officer's group. I can't remember which one, probably general officer's group, that said, “Hey, the superintendent would like to interview you.” And I said, “OK, very good. I look forward to talking to a superintendent.” And what I will tell you is this: It is very difficult to prepare for an interview like that. Number one, you know, in the short amount of time that you're given to prepare for it. And then two, you just really don't know what you're going to be asked. And my knowledge of the Academy was very, very dated, you know, for 27 years ago when I graduated. But I said, “OK, let's go. Let's do it.” And so, I talked to him on the way home from the Pentagon in my car driving home, and we had a really nice conversation. And I remember parking in our driveway, and I remember staying in the driveway for about 15 more minutes as the conversation concluded, and I remember going into the house, and I remember talking to my wife, and I said, “You know, there are probably a number of people that interviewed, and they are, I'm positive, incredibly well suited for the position. There's always somebody better.” That's another great lesson that the Academy taught me, is there's always somebody better. But I said, “I think I feel like that went well. I don't know that I could have given any more to that interview.” Eventually, the superintendent made a decision. The superintendent had to vet that decision through higher levels as well. And eventually you come out on a list and it is announced that this is your next job.     Naviere Walkewicz That's how you found out? You saw the list?   Brig. Gen. Marks So admittedly, you know, birdies are talking to me ahead of time. But at the same time, you are just as a professional, more than anything else that is, that's meant to be private information for just and your family to kind of get your mind wrapped around those types of things. Because, as we've seen over the course of numerous years now, sometimes these lists come out later, and if you were to find out solely by that, that's not a lot of time to house hunt. That's not a lot of time to arrange schools. That's not a lot of time to arrange PCSing, you know, those types of things. So, and in this particular case, I needed to PCS from the Pentagon. I needed to perform a promotion ceremony. I needed to work a change of command ceremony here as well. And so, my wife and I joke, now this last move was the most difficult move we've ever, ever had, because I did all that in 30 days.   Naviere Walkewicz 53:27 Wow, it was a lot, but this was probably one that you were both excited for, not just her.   Brig. Gen. Marks 53:31 Oh, we were. The amount of YouTube videos that we watched in our household about basic training and about the Wings of Blue, just to get our kids excited about this, which is why, I mean — there is no excuse for not knowing what you're walking into at the Air Force Academy, because there are thousands of videos out there. Yeah, and so we were very excited, and the kids were incredibly well educated on what they could expect, everything from the wildlife that's on the installation, to the climate and the altitude, to what cadet life was going to be like. And so, we were really excited. And I remember — and because the kids had never been here at all, my wife and I had taken a trip here early in our marriage, our kids had never seen it and the excitement over the five days of driving was just really, really building up. And so, when we finally were able to see the big white box on the horizon,     Naviere Walkewicz Yes, the chapel-in-the-box.   Brig. Gen. Marks Yeah, when we were able to see that, and I was pointing to it as we were driving, they were just, they were just absolutely bubbling over with excitement. It was amazing.   Naviere Walkewicz 54:34 How did you feel when you saw it?   Brig. Gen. Marks 54:38 Very, very excited. A little overwhelmed. Also, I would tell you, I was really — I was both naive and I was also incredibly humbled and respectful of what I was walking into. Naive in this regard: I felt like, my goodness, I don't know that I've ever been more prepared for a position that I'm walking into than being the commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy. Because I graduated from here. I surely have to be well prepared and well suited. You know nothing about the inner workings of the Air Force Academy as a cadet. Nothing, nothing. And so, there was so much to learn about governance, not only that — I will tell you this: I had some troubles academically. I never had any run-ins from an honor perspective. I never had any discipline issues, either. And I don't say that to sound self-congratulatory. I say that to show my ignorance, because there were significant gaps in my knowledge and my understanding of how to manage the Cadet Wing, because I had never had any experience with honor, I'd never had any experience with discipline, and so I had to dive into those when I got here and learn that where somebody else might not have had to do that. Very respectful of what I was — the Academy is an incredibly special place. It is also, I don't say this, I don't mean this pejoratively, it is also a lightning rod for attention. There is always attention being drawn to the Air Force Academy and coming into the institution knowing that, it certainly had my attention up front, and I realized also that the opportunity to shape 4,000 cadets and to be able to be the one with a great, amazing team responsible for their military development, their character and leadership development, to ensure that on graduation they had achieved everything that they needed to do in terms of commissioning education to be responsible for their honor education, to be the one that is ultimately overseeing cadet life, it's an awesome, awesome responsibility, and I had a tremendous amount of respect for it when I came into the institution. So overwhelmed in that regard.   Naviere Walkewicz 57:22 I almost could feel through your eyes what you just expressed in coming back and seeing the Academy again and I think this is a wonderful time, because some of us have had the opportunity, whether it's been recent reunions, to hear you speak at reunion briefings, to catch a glimpse of you know, some of the changes or some of the things that you've brought back. Maybe this is an opportunity to share what's Academy life like now, but through the eyes of the commandant. What would you like to share with our listeners?   Brig. Gen. Marks 57:49 So, I would tell you and your listeners that the life of a cadet has changed and is going to change even more. So, I would start much more strategic and talk about this geo-strategically. Being in an era of great power competition, we recognize that because of who our competitor is, because of the advances that they have made, et cetera, it is incredibly important. It's critical for us to rethink how we do just about anything. Rethink how we train, how we develop, how we organize, how we employ force, how we sustain that employment of force, everything. At the Air Force Academy we're in a developmental business and so it's important for us to step back and ask ourselves, with no indictment on the past and the cadets and the lieutenants, rather that we have created and that we have graduated, but right now today, are we doing everything that we can to ensure that the lieutenants that we graduate are ready to lead on Day 1 and win ultimately, should deterrence fail in great power competition? In that deep dive, we have to explore some of the training techniques that we employ here and whether they are applicable on the outside and the force the greater force, or whether they are potentially creating a hazard of negative transfer, we have to ask ourselves whether some of the traditions that we enjoy, or that we have enjoyed here at the United States Air Force Academy, are appropriate for this day and age, send the wrong message, or are potentially harmful in terms of our culture and our climate. Deep diving into all those things, one of the things that I've come to the realization about is this: What I want to be able to do is ensure that a cadet that has graduated — and I know that I won't be here for four years, but assuming that I was — meeting a cadet on I-Day and walking with them through four years, I want to make sure that they feel like they got their money's worth from a military development perspective or military training perspective. And here's what I mean by that: Anecdotally, as I talked to cadets, hundreds of cadets, and talked about their journey at the Air Force Academy, one of the things that I found is that the institution and the curriculum challenged them as a four degree. I think that is universal. But I would also say, and I would imagine, that many of your listeners who are grads would agree that once you were out of your four-degree year, the institution allowed for it to be, if this was your desire, very easy for you to coast militarily, or, dare I say, potentially hide militarily. And I didn't want that. I wanted essentially the same level of rigor that is placed on you academically and the same level of rigor that is placed on you physically and athletically to be placed on you militarily. Said another way, the same sweaty palms that you get in anticipation of your GR are the same sweaty palms that you get in anticipation of your PFT. I want you to have an anticipation of your inspection, or an anticipation of your formation, or an anticipation of your knowledge test, et cetera, throughout your four years. And so, we have evolved our thinking and more importantly, our focus to developing across all four years with the same level of diligence and the same level of rigor that we placed in our fourth-class development. And so the moniker, or the catch phrase, the bumper sticker that we use is that we have transition from a focus on the fourth-class system, to a four-class system, where you can expect, as a rising three degree, or as a rising two degree, to be taught what we need you to do in terms of your military development, expectations and responsibilities, let loose to go practice those things, those supervisory skills, et cetera; assessed on those things, taught warfighting skills as well, that will prepare you for great power competition, et cetera, et cetera. And I can go into a lot more detail, but suffice it to say, this is a significant shift in how we've been operating, and it's a shift for the better, because this is what our nation needs. This is putting us in a better position to be ready on Day 1 to lead and to win on Day 1. So, I'm really excited about it.   Naviere Walkewicz That is exciting. Brig. Gen. Marks We're also bringing some rigor back into expectations about what it means to be a member of the Cadet Wing. So, in other words, we are increasing the number of formations. We are increasing the number of inspections. We are putting our money where our mouth is with respect to the fact that we say and rightly so, that we value character. We are now adding that too as a function of how we assess from a military performance average perspective, how we assess character, because it's so important, it's so critical. There are a lot of changes that are happening for the better, and these changes are going to affect not only the readiness of our cadets, but it's going to affect the culture of our Wing as well in a positive way. It's just going to take some time.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:04:00 That's outstanding. Do you see that trickling up as well into some of the officers that are involved in this, with you, and shaping the cadets — so the AOCs, also your AMTs, and how they're doing that? Is that part of this as well?     Brig. Gen. Marks 1:04:13 It is, and I'll be honest with you, I don't want to be short-sighted or to minimize the impact that the entire institution is going to have. Believe it or not, the touch points that our faculty have, our coaches and staff have, they are abundant, and we would be doing ourselves and our cadets a disservice if all of us in lockstep were — not attacking the problem, but weren't in this together in terms of this development and this approach that we're taking. And so we are. We absolutely are. The dean and I are classmates. We have a tremendous and positive relationship, same with the athletic director and the executive director of Athletics as well. And together we have coffee on a regular basis, and we share ideas and talk about our approaches so that we can together positively impact our cadets. So yes, it is an all-of-USAFA approach and an all-in approach.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:05:22 Absolutely love that. Well, I have two questions. I want to give them to you so you have a chance to think about. The first one being, you know, as a commandant, what keeps you up at night? I think that's something on the minds of our listeners. But then also, would you share maybe, what's something that you're so proud of that's happened since you've been here kind of under your leadership, and maybe something that you're not so proud of? And you can answer those however you'd like.   Brig. Gen. Marks 1:05:48 What keeps me up at night is the resilience of cadets. And let me explain that just a little bit. In no way is that an indictment of a generational thing; this generation of cadets is less. Not at all. It's me talking about human behavior and saying that our program is difficult, it's challenging, and individuals respond in different ways to that, and what keeps me up is an individual feeling like there is no way out. That bothers me a lot. It really, realy, really concerns me a tremendous amount. And so I spend a lot of time talking to our command teams about this and about the need for us to administratively ensure that we are being as efficient as possible when we adjudicate certain matters, because what we don't want to do is leave someone dangling in terms of decision making for months and months on end, because that exacerbates that problem and my concern. In terms of what I am most proud of — so, the jury is still out, but here's what I'll say: I'm very proud of a lot of things. I'm proud of the team we've assembled. I'm proud of the work that is being done at the Staff level. I'm proud of the work that our commanders and our AMTs are doing. Our commanders, our AOCs. I am also very proud of the partnership that we have across the installation. That partnership has enabled us to make a significant change to what is called the schedule of calls, the construct that defines how cadets, day to day, spend their time, essentially. We have made a significant change to it that enables us to provide a more professionalized delivery of commissioning education. It has allowed for us to provide some white space in cadets lives, significant white space. It has allowed for us to build in time for unit fitness. Unit fitness being the operative phrase there, because the unit is so important and developing that cohesion is so important. It ha

Join us on Front to the Films as we explore the compelling stories of World War II veterans with our special guest, Andrew Biggio, author of the acclaimed book The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans Told Through an M1 Garand. Hosted by Colonel Tom Rendall, this episode promises an in-depth look at the personal histories and remarkable experiences of the veterans who fought in one of the most significant conflicts in history. Andrew Biggio, inspired by his family's personal sacrifices during World War II, has dedicated his life to preserving the memories of the Greatest Generation. From serving as an infantry rifleman in the U.S. Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to founding Boston's Wounded Vet Run, Andrew's commitment to honoring veterans is steadfast. His book, The Rifle, uses the iconic M1 Garand rifle to connect the stories of WWII veterans, offering readers a profound glimpse into their lives during and after the war. Episode Highlights: Introduction: Colonel Tom Rendall introduces Andrew Biggio and sets the stage for an engaging conversation about his journey and his passion for World War II history. The Story Behind The Rifle: Andrew shares the inspiration behind his book and discusses the significance of the M1 Garand rifle in telling veterans' stories. Key Stories and Their Impact: Hear about some of the most memorable and impactful stories from the veterans featured in The Rifle. Reflections and Legacy: Andrew reflects on the importance of preserving these stories and the lasting legacy of the WWII veterans. Andrew also discusses his recent visit to Normandy for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and his ongoing efforts to support and honor veterans. This episode offers a unique opportunity to connect with history through the voices of those who lived it. Don't miss this excellent episode of Front to the Films. Subscribe now and join us as we continue to explore the personal histories behind the crucial moments in history.

In this episode, we talk with Brian Williams who discusses his journey from decorated competitor at CMP events to CMP's Highpower Manager. He also gives us some tips on how to compete with that tricky M1 Garand!

Get ready to lock and load as Tim Slade and Joey from the Game Club Podcast travel back in time to revisit the game that started it all: Call of Duty (2003). In this action-packed episode, they take a trip down memory lane to explore the groundbreaking first-person shooter that revolutionized the gaming industry. Call of Duty (2003) thrust players into the heart of World War II, immersing them in epic battles across the European and North African theaters. Tim and Joey dive into the game's iconic campaigns, from storming the beaches of Normandy to fighting through the streets of Stalingrad, discussing how Call of Duty set a new standard for immersive storytelling and cinematic gameplay. But it's not just the intense firefights and explosive set pieces that made Call of Duty a gaming classic—it's also the unforgettable multiplayer experience that kept players coming back for more. Tim and Joey reminisce about the countless hours spent battling friends and foes online, trading grenades, and capturing objectives in adrenaline-fueled multiplayer matches. As they reflect on their own experiences playing Call of Duty (2003), Tim and Joey discuss the game's impact on the first-person shooter genre, its influence on subsequent titles in the series, and its lasting legacy in the gaming community. From its realistic weapons and authentic sound design to its immersive environments and gripping narrative, they unpack what made Call of Duty (2003) a game that continues to hold a special place in the hearts of gamers around the world. But perhaps most importantly, Tim and Joey celebrate the camaraderie and friendships forged through their shared experiences playing Call of Duty (2003). They share their favorite moments, strategies, and memories from their time spent in the trenches, highlighting the bonds that were formed and the memories that were made in the heat of battle. So grab your M1 Garand, load up your Thompson, and join Tim Slade and Joey from the Game Club Podcast as they reload nostalgia and pay tribute to the game that started it all: Call of Duty (2003). Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the series, this episode promises to be a thrilling journey through gaming history.

It's March mayhem, and we decided to sit down and have us a little fun. Hunter, Travis Barrett, Patrick Combs, Mike Gardner, and Scott Parker sat down to decide what is the most iconic WW2 firearm.Tune in and listen as we delve into the fascinating topic of World War II firearms and explore which weapon stands out as the most iconic. From the mighty M1 Garand to the fearsome MP40, join us as we examine the historical significance, battlefield impact, and cultural legacy of these legendary weapons. Whether you're a history buff, firearms enthusiast, or simply curious about the weaponry that shaped one of the most pivotal periods in human history, this episode is sure to fascinate and educate. Join us as we uncover the stories behind the guns that defined an era.

Join Slade on this special bonus episode of our podcast as he delves into the captivating world of Call of Duty: Finest Hour, a game that paved the way for the iconic franchise we know today. In this deep dive, Slade reminisces about the groundbreaking gameplay, memorable characters, and epic battles that defined this classic title. From the intense frontline action of the Eastern Front to the daring missions in North Africa, Slade explores how Call of Duty: Finest Hour revolutionized the first-person shooter genre and left an indelible mark on gaming history. So grab your M1 Garand and join us as we journey back to the front lines of World War II in this bonus episode dedicated to the enduring legacy of Call of Duty: Finest Hour.

Veterans of World War 2 are called the Greatest Generation for their uncommon courage and self-determination. Whether this descriptor is true or part of America's self-mythologizing during the 20th century is a challenging question, one that Andrew Biggio, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, worked to answer.Biggio found that many were brave, but they were all ordinary men who also shared in humanity's weaknesses and flaws while responding to the call of duty. Biggio is today's guest and author of “The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield.” He shares first-person accounts from the last of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fought the most dreadful war in history.The idea for his first book “The Rifle” was simple: travel across the country with a 1945 M1 Garand, the basic U.S. fighting rifle of World War II, ask combat veterans of that war to sign it, and listen carefully as the sight, touch, and feel of that rifle evoke a flood of memories and emotions. In this follow-up book, Andrew Biggio once again reveals the astonishing effect his M1 Garand had on the old warriors who held it.

Andrew Biggio was excited to show his neighbor, a WWII veteran, the M1 Garand rifle he had recently purchased. The weapon was the most common rifle used in WWII, and Biggio thought his elderly neighbor would appreciate holding the gun. “When I put that rifle into his hands and he raised it into his shoulder and started waving it around the room and pointing and smiling, and we talked about the Battle of Okinawa for like three hours,” Biggio, a Marine veteran himself, recounts. Biggio was in awe of the stories his elderly neighbor had just shared with him. The rifle had not only triggered memories in the veteran's mind, but acted like a microphone, propelling the man to describe his war experiences in detail. Biggio asked his neighbor to sign the rifle becasue he wanted to remember the stories he had just been told, and this gave Biggio the idea to find other WWII veterans and ask them to sign the M1 Garand rifle. Today, “I have 320 names on that rifle,” Biggio says. “You can't even see the wooden stalk. The whole rifle's full of white ink names.” But the majority of the soldiers who have held the rifle have done much more than signed it, they described their war stories in detail while grasping the weapon, stories which Biggio has compiled into two book. His first book, “The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand,” was released in 2021 but could not hold all veteran stories. In September, Biggio released the project's second edition, “The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield.” Biggio joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share some of the stories of the WWII veterans he has had the privilege of meeting and writing about. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Biggio was excited to show his neighbor, a WWII veteran, the M1 Garand rifle he had recently purchased. The weapon was the most common rifle used in WWII, and Biggio thought his elderly neighbor would appreciate holding the gun.   “When I put that rifle into his hands and he raised it into his […]

The King welcomes Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine infantry sergeant, Andrew bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, a World War II veteran. The rifle unlocked memories, not only for his neighbor, but more than 100 other vets who signed the rifle. Andrew recorded their stories and shared them in his... Source

The King welcomes Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine infantry sergeant, Andrew bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, a World War II veteran. The rifle unlocked memories, not only for his neighbor, but more than 100 other vets who signed the rifle. Andrew recorded their stories and shared them in his first book, The Rifle, and now's back with the sequel.Andrew now serves on the police force in Boston and as president of New England's Wounded Veterans, Inc. You can find his website here.Then Jon wraps up the news of the week, including the latest from Israel, Capitol Hill, and beyond.Subscribe to the King of Stuff Spotify playlist featuring picks from the show. For video versions of the interviews, subscribe to Jon's YouTube or Rumble channel!

The King welcomes Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine infantry sergeant, Andrew bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, a World War II veteran. The rifle unlocked memories, not only for his neighbor, but more than […]

In this episode, we're joined by Andrew Biggio, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a deep passion for World War II history.He shares the inspiration behind his mission to honor WWII veterans and how it led to his book, "The Rifle." Learn about the powerful connection between veterans and the M1 Garand rifle, a symbol of their wartime experiences, in this touching conversation.Remember to subscribe, rate, and review Eyewitness History.Follow the Show on Social Media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EyewitnessHistoryTwitter: https://twitter.com/EyewitnessPodThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5351305/advertisement

When Iraq and Afghanistan Marine veteran Andrew Biggio purchased a 1945 M1 Garand rifle, the same rifle his uncle had used in World War II, it led him on a journey to find the last living World War II veterans and document their stories and have them sign his rifle. Newt's guest is Andrew Biggio, author of “The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we discuss the Fenian Raids, whereby the Fenian Brotherhood attacked Canada to free Ireland from Britain...or probably not that, but I have trouble paying attention. We also discuss Smashmouth, M1 Garand clip ejections sounds, and the Potato "famine" (read: forced starvation, RIP Sinead.) Enjoy?

In this episode, I interviewed Andrew Biggio about his book "The Rifle". Tales of American combat and comradery in World War II all connected to the iconic rifle of the era, the M1 Garand. An award-winning author puts one such rifle into the hands of a series of vets, records their stories, and gathers their signatures on the rifle, in a pilgrimage and homage to heroism.It all started because of a rifle.

The OL gun team takes over the podcast to discuss staff writer Tyler Freel's M1 Garand project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Hull from Fulton ArmoryIntroduction: Welcome to Precision Rifle Media, the podcast that delves into the world of precision shooting and firearms. In this episode, your host Kirk Young engages in an insightful conversation with Rich Hull from Fulton Armory. Join us as we explore the realm of CMP shooting and discover effective methods for improving the accuracy of vintage rifles such as the M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and the M14. Rich also sheds light on the array of services provided by Fulton Armory to assist enthusiasts in maximizing the accuracy of their cherished vintage firearms.Show Notes:Introduction to Kirk Young and Rich Hull from Fulton ArmoryMeet Kirk Young, your knowledgeable host with a passion for precision shooting.Introduction to Rich Hull, an esteemed expert from Fulton Armory renowned for his expertise in firearms.Understanding CMP Shooting and its SignificanceExploring the allure of vintage rifles, including iconic models such as the M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and the M14, in the CMP shooting community.Strategies for Enhancing Accuracy in Vintage RiflesDive into the intricacies of making vintage rifles more accurate.Key considerations and techniques for improving the performance of the M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and the M14.Rich Hull's expert advice on selecting the right modifications and upgrades to enhance accuracy.Exploring Fulton Armory's ServicesDiscover the wide range of services provided by Fulton Armory to cater to vintage rifle enthusiasts.Learn about Fulton Armory's reputation for quality craftsmanship and its commitment to precision shooting.Gain insights into the specialized services offered by Fulton Armory to help gun owners improve the accuracy of their vintage firearms.Understanding the process of working with Fulton Armory, from consultation to customization.Testimonials and success stories of individuals who have utilized Fulton Armory's services to enhance the accuracy of their vintage rifles.Conclusion: Join us for this engaging episode of Precision Rifle Media as Kirk Young and Rich Hull from Fulton Armory provide valuable insights into CMP shooting and share expert advice on improving the accuracy of vintage rifles. Don't miss out on the opportunity to leverage Fulton Armory's services to enhance the performance of your cherished vintage firearm. Tune in now for an episode filled with knowledge and practical tips to take your precision shooting to the next level.Www.fulton-armory.comhttps://instagram.com/fultonarmory?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Welcome to a riveting episode of "Military Guns in Civilian Hands," the podcast that explores the fascinating world of military firearms and their place in the hands of responsible civilian gun owners. I'm your host, a proud supporter of the Second Amendment, and I'm excited to delve into the rich history and practical applications of these iconic weapons. In this episode, we examine the transition of military firearms into the civilian market and the benefits that they offer to enthusiasts and self-defense advocates alike. From battle-tested rifles to legendary handguns, we'll explore the allure and versatility of military guns in civilian hands. Join me as we discuss the historical significance of firearms such as the M1 Garand, the AK-47, and the 1911 pistol, which have not only defended our nation but have also become sought-after treasures for collectors and enthusiasts. We'll dive into their design, reliability, and the impact they have had on the development of civilian firearms. We'll also explore the practical applications of military guns for self-defense, recreational shooting, and competitive shooting sports. Whether it's the accuracy of a military-inspired rifle or the proven stopping power of a battle-tested pistol, these firearms offer civilians an opportunity to experience the performance and craftsmanship that have defined military arms. Throughout the episode, we'll address legal considerations, responsible ownership, and the importance of proper training when it comes to owning and operating military firearms. By understanding the capabilities and limitations of these weapons, we can ensure safe and responsible use. Join us as we celebrate the rich heritage and practical advantages of military guns in civilian hands. Let's explore the legacy of these remarkable firearms and embrace the opportunities they provide for self-defense, recreation, and the preservation of our Second Amendment rights. Together, we'll appreciate the value of responsible ownership and the unique benefits that military guns offer to responsible civilian gun owners.

Welcome to an enthralling episode of "Historic American Guns," the podcast that celebrates the legendary firearms that have become an integral part of our nation's rich history. I'm your host, a fervent supporter of the Second Amendment, and I'm honored to guide you through a journey of the iconic guns that have shaped America. In this episode, we delve into the depths of American firearms heritage, exploring the legendary weapons that have defined pivotal moments in our nation's story. From the powerful muskets of the Revolutionary War to the lever-action rifles of the Wild West, we'll traverse the timeline of American firearms innovation. Join me as we pay homage to the Colt Single Action Army, the Winchester Model 1873, and other iconic firearms that became synonymous with the American frontier. We'll unravel the stories behind these historic guns and the individuals who wielded them, from legendary outlaws to brave lawmen who brought justice to the untamed West. Throughout the episode, we'll discuss the technological advancements that shaped these firearms, from the introduction of the first repeaters to the development of semi-automatic pistols. We'll highlight the craftsmanship, ingenuity, and American spirit that went into creating these remarkable pieces of history. But our exploration doesn't stop at the Old West. We'll also delve into the firearms that played a pivotal role in the defense of our nation, such as the M1 Garand, the M1911 pistol, and the iconic Thompson submachine gun. These guns not only defended our freedoms but also became symbols of American determination and resilience during times of conflict. Join us as we immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of historic American guns, celebrating the craftsmanship, innovation, and indomitable spirit that they represent. Let's honor the men and women who wielded these firearms, and gain a deeper understanding of the profound impact they have had on our nation's identity. Together, we'll embrace the legacy of these historic American guns and reaffirm our appreciation for the role they played in shaping our great nation.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Attu. The American forces were gradually taking the high grounds from the Japanese. The stalemate at Jarmin's pass had caused severe casualties upon the Americans, but they managed to get the Japanese to withdraw from the Pass by May 17th. Jarmin's Pass would receive its name after Captain John Jarmin and his platoon died fighting atop it on May 14th. We also spoke about the silent service and how the Mark 14 torpedo was gradually fixed so the submariners would be better equipped to strangle Japan of her lifeblood, her merchant fleet. Lastly we spoke about the horrifying Changjiao Massacre that occurred during the West Hubei Offensive and the plight of the common Chinese people during the brutal second sino-japanese war. But today we are going to finish up the story of the battle for Attu.  This episode is the Fall of Attu Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  So we left off in the Frigid Northern island of Attu on May 16th, with General Brown being relieved of command of the 7th division by the Aleutian veteran Brigadier General Eugene Landrum. Given the evidence on hand today, it seems Brown had really irritated Admiral Kinkaid and his other military superiors, coupled with miscommunication or better said lack of. The misunderstandings that arose saw Brown kicked out, but before he departed he had the chance to speak to Landrum. Landrum was shocked when he saw the situation for what it really was and sympathized with Brown. He ordered all of Brown's plans to continue as they were.  Now back on Attu, the Northern Force of Colonel Culin was making a major breakthrough by cutting off Lt's Goto and Honna and their forces in Jarmin Pass. They were forced to abandon their positions during the night of the 16th, slipping away and successfully eluding all the American forces as they joined Colonel Yamasaki's main body at Chichagof. The following morning the Americans failed to realize off the bat that they were no longer facing any Japanese atop Jarmin Pass, as a result of the thick fog. Eventually the lack of bullets coming down upon them brought the realization that the brutal massacre valley struggled which had to this point claimed 1100 American casualties had ended. Over in the south Colonel Wayne Zimmerman walked atop the crest of Jarmin pass where he stumbled upon the corpse of Captain John Jarmin and the bodies of his comrades surrounded by mangled bodies of dead Japanese. The pass which was called Massacre-Holtz pass was renamed after Jarmin who died on the 14th. The pass would receive a renaming There was an eerie silence over the pass that day. On May 18th the various Americans forces finally established contact through Jarmin Pass and now looked towards Chichagof where the Japanese were looking to make a stand. Despite successfully dislodging them, the Japanese had managed to withdraw in order, establishing yet again well-prepared defenses on the jagged heights of Chichagof Valley.  Landrum decided to give the men another day to recuperate and plan out their attack and as he noted later “I know this country and my heart bled for the boys. I had to send them up there. I know how cold and bitter it was on the mountains. But I knew death was bitterer.”.On May 18th the American officers got together to formulate a plan to assault the Japanese. Colonel Culin would lead one Pincer and Colonel Zimmerman the other, this was part of Major General Browns original plan. Zimmerman's 2nd battalions, of the 17th and 32nd infantry with the 3rd battalion of the 17th infantry in reserve would seize Clevesy pass. Once that was taken, the Southern force would then advance down Jim Fish Valley to seize Sarana Nose on the right side and Buffalo Ridge on the left thus securing the approaches to Chichagof harbor. Culin's Northern Force and the 1st battalion of the 4th regiment would capture the northern slopes of Prendergast ridge in preparation for the final assault against Chichagof. Culin and Zimmerman shuffled their more exhausted units into reserve, allowing fresher troops to take the lead. Meanwhile in his Kingfisher Colonel Eareckson flew reconnaissance missions almost constantly, scouting, coordinating and occasionally dropping messages to isolated units he could find. Eareckson relayed targets back to the bomber units so they could try to hit the enemy who had been alluding them heavily for days because of the deep fog. Colonel Talley's Engineers were also at work, building a road towards Engineer hill to help move the artillery piece further inland. Admiral Rockwell also sent a force of PT boats to carry further supplies ashore, hoping to reduce the enormous traffic jam of supplies along the beaches. During the night of May 18th, Zimmerman and Culin sent scouts to probe the enemy defenses at Clevesy Pass. On the morning of the 19th, the offensive began, with Zimmerman sending his 2nd battalion 17th regiment to hit Clevesy pass supported by an artillery barrage and Culin sent his two battalions against the Chichagof heights. By noon, the 2nd battalion, 32nd regiment joined the southern attack. Culins advance finds out the Japanese position at the Chichagof heights are quite formidable. Lt Honna has taken a position at a place called Point Able, a mountain blocking the Southern forces advance. Lt Honna who spoke perfect english notably would be spending the fighting at Point Able lobbing elaborate insults and taunts at the American invaders. For Zimmerman's men, they had the support of a ton of artillery and some aerial bombardments to soften up Clevesy Pass allowing the men to capture a toehold on the high grounds. However Zimmerman's men quickly found themselves embroiled in a major battle, as Dr. Paul Tatsuguchi tells us via his diary “The hard fighting of our 303rd Battalion in Massacre Bay is fierce and it is to our advantage. Have captured enemy weapons and used that to fight enemy closing under fog.” Lt Honna and his 303rd independent battalion fought like madmen to hold Point Able. The next day, Zimmerman sent some companies to perform an early morning attack to seize Cold Mountain while the Japanese reigned machinegun fire upon them. By noon the American attacks had reduced the Japanese to a force of 50 men upon Nees Point who were tossing back continuous american attacks. Meanwhile Culins men were fighting their way inch by inch over bloodstained hills. By the end of the 20th, they gained a few hundreds yards. Also on the 20th, the 1st battalion, 4th regiment entered the fray, hitting Clevesy pass and beginning their ascension to Prendergast ridge. General Buckner's men were able to reach the top of the ridges the following night before turning their advance towards Sarana-Holtz Pass. The USS Nassau launched its final mission of the day, sending some Wildcats to bomb and strafe the Japanese positions in the Chichagof Harbor in the afternoon. Again we hear from Dr. Tatsuguchi's diary “Was strafed when noon, amputating a patient's arm. It is the first time since moving over to Chichagof Harbor that I went in an air raid shelter… Nervousness of our CO is severe and he has said his last word to his officers and NCOs-that he will die tomorrow – gave all his articles away. Hasty chap this fellow. The officers on the front are doing a fine job. Everyone who heard this became desperate and things became disorderly.” After hitting the Japanese the USS Nassau left for Adak having lost 5 pilots and 8 aircraft to the bitter frigid weather. The next day, General Buckner came over to Attu to support his 4th regiment and had Colonel Eareckson fly him up Massacre Valley to look around Point Able. Buckner apparently even manned the aircrafts machine gun strafing the Japanese trenches. That day Eareckson's bombers managed to destroy every building in Chichagof village. Eareckson himself would later that day walk over to the frontlines, borrow a rifle from an infantry man and proceeded to shoot at Point Able. For this he was rewarded with an enemy bullet that wounded him. Buckner would get him a Purple Heart to pin to his chest and a firm kick in his ass upon saying “for being where you had no business being”. I think in Eareckson's defense, a General manning a machine gun on an aircraft was just as hilariously improper.  Zimmermans men continued to push up the mountains against the Japanese, and during the nightfall Company E of the 32nd regiment made a daring charge up the slopes of Point Able ferociously wiping out Honna company down to the last man. Honna would die from a gunshot wound having fought to the bitter end. To the north, Culins man successfully captured Hill 4, leading towards Prendergast ridge, when General Landrum suddenly ordered them to instead support the Southern Forces advance upon Fish Hook ridge. Fish Hook Ridge overlooked Chichagof harbor still held by Colonel Yamasaki who was suffering daily artillery and aerial bombardments. Yamasaki's men were ordered to hold the beach at all cost. To the left was Jim Fish Valley and Sarana Nose to the right. The defenses on both sides of the entrance to the harbor rendered a direct approach upon Chichagof harbor quite difficult.   Sailed from the west, Admiral Kawase was performing reconnaissance around the Komadorski islands and reported back that the size of the American fleet at Attu was enormous. It seems this report finally sunk in with Tokyo HQ, because they made their decision to evacuate the aleutian garrisons via submarine, thus ending anymore reinforcing. The following day, 19 G4M bombers launched from Paramushiro, and through the fog found a patch of clear sky over Holtz Bay where they dropped packages over Chichagof Harbor before they attacked the American vessels. They lost two Betty's for their efforts inflicting basically no damage upon the American warships. On the morning of May 22nd, Zimmermans forces ran into the remnants of the 303rd battalions, the 4th company and a few survivors of the 2nd company on Sarana Nose. Zimmerman ordered his reserve 3rd battalion, 17th regiment to hit the peak after the big guns got to smash it for 30 minutes. The big guns referred to 32 heavy machineguns, 14 37 mm anti-tank guns, 23 81mm mortars, a section of 75mm pack howitzers and 4 batteries of 105mm howitzers, a lot of shock and aye. THe bombardment devastated the entrenched Japanese allowing the men to take Sarana Nose with relative ease, annihilating the handful of Japanese. Meanwhile on the left flank, the 4th regiment advanced upon Prendergast Ridge supported by artillery. To the north, Culin attacks stalled due to heavy resistance, so Landrum ordered him to hold his position. Despite Landrums recent broken leg he assumed personally command of the southern force.  May 22nd's aerial photos showed that leading a direct assault up the valley floor would bring the southern force into an inferno of lead from the surrounding ridges that overlooked the valley. So instead they would secure Fish Hook Ridge first. Fish Hook ridge was a rugged semicircular snow covered, knife edge ridge which bent like a fish hook around 2 miles towards Chichagof Harbor. The Japanese had made a defensive line of snow trenches, rifle pits and machine gun nests connected by snow tunnels along the slopes of Washburn and Newman Peaks. These extended further south to the slopes of Brewer Peak, Buffalo ridge and to the floor of Jim Fish Valley. The entire defensive line blocked the Holtz-Sarana and Holtz-Chichagof passes and the entrance to Jim Fish Valley. Zimmerman sent his 2nd battalion, 32nd regiment to seize a high plateau to the left side of Jim fish valley. Again, before his men charged up the plateau, artillery made sure to pound the area, and again the Americans would find mangled survivors. At this point the Japanese situation was dire. They were desperately low on food, isolated and fighting a battle of attrition against an enemy enjoying every advantage. Yamasaki and his men were trapped behind their innermost defensive perimeter, but his delaying action left him in possession of a defensive firepower more concentrated than before. Despite the hundreds of casualties they had suffered, Yamasaki now counted with more soldiers to defend each yard of ground. May 23rd began with a heavy fog and very snowy weather, preventing Zimmermans men from launching their main attack. He was only able to send the  2nd Battalion, 17th Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 32nd Regiment to relieve the exhausted 4th Regiment. Company A of the 4th infantry had a horrible experience when 9 Japanese machine gun nests with attached riflemen pinned them down. Then an unexpected event occurred as told to us by Lt Winfield Mapes “quite suddenly a lone figure jumped up and ran across the open snow towards the nearest Jap hole. He had an M1 and bunch of hand grenades. He threw a grenade into the first hole and began firing. He moved right on into the circle of Jap holes around the machine gun. Deliberately, he walked up the edge of the holes one by one, […] then […] tossed a grenade. Nine times he did this […] [Private Fred M.] Barnett is just a guy […] who said, “Hell, I just got all fed-up and disgusted; and decided I'd get the damn thing over with,” and voiced the words of a nation” When Barnett reappeared he walked calmly downhill signaled the two companies to advance. Barnett had charged nine successive Japanese emplacements, wiping them all out without taking a scratch. Private Barnett received the distinguished service cross for his actions.  Other smaller units probed the ridge, but all were stopped by Japanese resistance on Buffalo Ridge. To the west, Culins men were pressing towards a junction beneath Fish Hook ridge, finally linking up again with the southern force, planning to coordinate an offensive the next morning. That day, General Butler's P-38 Lightnings intercepted a wave of 16 Betty's managing to shot down 9 of them while losing 2 Lightnings in the process. Because of these large losses, the Japanese would not commit anymore airforces from Paramushiro. On the morning of May 24th, a coordinated assault against the ridge began. The 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry of the Southern Force moved over the southern slopes of Prendergast Ridge, while the 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry, plus two companies from the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, advanced along the northern slopes. Heavy Japanese machine-gun fire, repelled both forces back to their lines of departure on Prendergast Ridge as they attempted to negotiate their way across the “Bahai Bowl.” The 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment advanced up Jim Fish Valley where Japanese fire from Buffalo Ridge halted them near the southern end of Lake Cories. The Americans were fighting for every inch of snow and ice covered muskeg they advanced upon and the casualties were mounting heavily. Dr.Tatsuguchi's diary tells us“Naval gun firing, aerial bombardment, trench warfare, the worst is yet to come. The enemy is constructing a position. Bn. Commander died at Umanose [Fish Hook Ridge]. They cannot accommodate their patients. It has been said that at Massacre Bay district, the road coming through sector unit headquarters is isolated. Am suffering from diarrhea and feel dizzy.” Aerial and artillery bombardment was carried out the entire day, unfortunately a bit too much so, as some friendly fire occurred, yet again the fog a constant enemy. Eventually Landrum was forced to order the 4th regiment to reinforce the southern advance because of the intense resistance. By the end of the day two companies of Culins 3rd battalion, 32nd regiment managed to get into the Holtz-Sarana Pass.  Meanwhile the American Engineers had built up the road to Engineer Hill allowing Landrum to order every artillery piece available to be brought along it up to Massacre Valley. On the 25th, artillery and aerial bombardments soften up the approaches for the 3rd battalion, 32nd infantry on the left and the 2nd battalion, 17th regiment on the right against the pass. While this assault began, the 2nd battalion, 32nd infantry and the 3rd battalion, 17th infantry resumed their assault but were met with intense resistance from the Japanese along Buffalo ridge. The defenders as usual enjoyed extremely good concealment, utilizing fresh snow to their advantage making them practically invisible. The 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry supported by the 1st Battalion, 4th Battalion charged through snow and bullets, seizing Newman Peak, which overlooked the pass. By nightfall, Zimmerman controlled the base of the ridge with some isolated slopes in the hands of scattered companies. It was at this point the logistics for the Americans took a turn for the worse. They were not much further from their beach landings areas and the supplies were trickling up slower and slower. This was an indication that time was of the essence, the longer the battle went on, the more the chances were that logistical issues would strangle them. When May 26th rolled around, with it came some clear weather giving the American airforces a chance to bomb the defensive lines with rare precision. Again from Dr. Tatsuguchi's diary we receive this “Hit by naval gun firing, it felt like the Missumi barracks blew up and things lit up tremendously. Consciousness becomes vague. One tent burn down by a hit from incendiary bombs. Strafing planes hit the next room, two hits from a 50 caliber shell, one stopped in the ceiling and the other penetrated. My room is an awful mess from sand and pebbles that have come from the roof. First Lt. from medical corps is wounded. There was a ceremony to grant the Imperial Edict. The last line of Umanose [Fish Hook Ridge] was broken through. No hope for reinforcements. Will die for the cause of Imperial Edict.” Culin sent forces to secure the Holtz-Sarana Pass gradually pushing back the concealed defenders, foxhole by foxhole. Company K advance up a 2500 foot crest of Washburn Peak and found themselves face to face with Japanese trenches. Private Joe Martinez with his rifle in hand decided to walk into the enemy fire as he tossed grenades killing 5 Japanese. He managed to reach the crest of the ridge before collapsing from a mortal gunshot wound he received over 50 yards further down the hill. He was posthumously awarded with the medal of honor, the only one earned on Attu. The Northern force eventually overwhelmed the Japanese snow trenches and seized the northwestern portion of Fish Hook. The only remaining obstacle now in the war were the trapped Japanese upon Buffalo ridge. The 4th regiment advanced along Fish Hook ridge, pushing the Japanese all the way to the summit of West Peak by the end of May 26th. The next day the weather turned around on them, with frigid slush like weather and the typical foggy concealment aiding the Japanese. Yamasaki took the advantage by dispatching reinforcements. Zimmerman's reinforced the advance against Buffalo ridge, tossing the 2nd battalion, 32nd infantry and companies C & D from the regiments 1st battalion alongside a lot of artillery support. But yet again the Japanese held firm, successfully halting the American advance just 200 yards from the ridges crest. On the 28th, another assault was launched against Buffalo Ridge supported by artillery. This time, the 2nd battalion, 32nd regiment managed to reach the top of the ridge facing significantly less resistance. Yard by yard the Americans seized most of Buffalo ridge by the end of the day. While that was going on, the forces advancing along Jim Fish Valley reached the southern portion of Lake Cories where they established a defensive position to hold up for the night. Landrum expected the 29th to be the final offensive to take Chichagof. The Americans now dominated the high grounds. The 1st battalion, 17th infantry held the Holtz Bay area; the 3rd battalion, 32nd infantry were atop Fish Hook Ridge; 1st battalion 4th infantry held positions along the Holtz Bay-Sarana Pass and atop West Peak; the 2nd battalion, 17th infantry and 1st/2nd battalions of the 32nd occupied Buffalo Ridge; and the 3rd battalion, 17th infantry held Jim Fish Valley. 4 75mm mountain guns and a battery of 105mm howitzers were placed on Hogback ridge while 60 artilleryman took up spotting positions on Engineer hill to direct the bombardments. Everything was in place for a final battle. The Japanese had their backs to the sea, crammed into a crowded area of low flat ground counting only 800 soldiers left. Two Japanese soldiers had been captured a day earlier and they confessed the remaining strength of their garrison. This prompted Landrum to order leaflets dropped over the Japanese positions. The leaflets carried a message from General Landrum to Colonel Yamasaki informing him of his hopeless situation and asking for his unconditional surrender. Landrum also added in “that the Japanese soldierly conduct thus far had been worthy of the highest military tradition”. Landrum asked Yamasaki to send a delegation to the American lines under a white flag. Landrum was trying to avoid the senseless slaughter, hoping Yamasaki might prove himself to be different from the countless other Japanese commanders who chose to resist to the last man. Landrum also was trying to prod the common Japanese soldiers to see if they would surrender in the face of the inevitable. Yamasaki ordered all paper burnt and personally oversaw all his wounded men given a fatal dose of morphine and their comrades showered the dying men with grenades. The Japanese, knowing full well the submarines originally set to come rescue them were no longer coming, the American destroyer picket line was preventing this. There was nowhere to pull back to, but the Japanese did not surrender, no Yamasaki chose to go out in a blaze of glory, fit to make the late Saigo Takamori proud. Yamasaki took his ancestral katana, while his men fixed bayonets. They were going to banzai charge at the weakest point in the American lines during the night, the Jim Fish Valley floor. They hoped this suicidal thrust might see a breakthrough upon which they could charge towards the American position at Engineer hill, hoping to capture their artillery to bear down upon them and to destroy their supplies. If they could manage to destroy the american supplies, they could theoretically then flee into the southern mountains where they might delay the americans enough to be rescued. The slim hope of victory depended on lightning speed, defeat would see their complete annihilation. By nightfall Yamasaki got his men ready, the 1st company and remnant of the other 2 companies of the 303rd independent battalion took the left flank, Yamasaki, his HQ and non-combat forces too a rear position and the remnants of the 83rd independent battalion took the right flank. In the early morning of May 29th, nearly a thousand screaming Japanese charged, as described by Nisei interpreter Peter Nakao later on “ It was pitch black when the enemy began the banzai attack. […] All of a sudden, the enemy was upon us. We could not see anything in the darkness except for tracer bullets flying in every direction. […] Leaving bayonetted dead and wounded behind them, the Japanese went past us and continued to the medic unit station to our rear. Then they headed for the ammunition dump behind the medics” The Japanese had smashed into the reserve Company B, 32nd regiment. The inexperienced men of that company had set up camp dead-center in Chichagof Valley, and had also withdrawn to the rear during the night to make breakfast, so their deserted positions where quickly overwhelmed and they fled for their lives to Buffalo ridge. Yamasaki let them flee and took his men in the direction of Engineer Hill. Yamasaki's timing was brilliant, he had taken the Americans by surprise and his forces were sweeping up the base of Engineer hill easily getting past the enfilading fire from the ridges by daybreak. The Japanese savagely swarmed a field hospital, exterminating all the sick and wounded men inside along with its chaplain. 12 Americans in a tent outside survived the horror by pretending to be dead, though they were severely trampled upon twice by charging Japanese. At this point the American initial shock and panic had worn off and General Archibald Arnold rallied the men. He set to work organizing artillerymen, engineers and service troops to establish hidden defensive positions. They lacked automatic weapons, but the ragtag force consisting mostly of the 50th engineers met the charging Japanese with grenades and M1 Garand bullets. Eventually the 4th regiment came forward with automatic weapons successfully slowing down the Japanese banzai charge. The Engineers then fixed their bayonets and engaged the Japanese in hand to hand combat forcing them to fall back. Yamasaki was gunned down by an M1 Garand bullet and his men were unable to maintain the momentum. Nearly half of the Japanese, now isolated and surrounded began pulling the pins of their grenades as they held them to their chests, 500 men committed suicide en masse. Several Americans witnessed the Japanese squatting in a thick shadowy cluster in the first weak gray light of morning  seeping through the fog, with one man standing and appearing to speak to the others. The thumps of their detonating grenades and agonized cries of dying men created a crescendo, that died away leaving the grounds littered with disemboweled bodies. American reporter Robert Sherroid described the scene as such “The explosive charge blasted away their vital organs. Probably one in four held a grenade against his head. There were many headless Jap bodies between Massacre [Bay] and Chichagof. Sometimes the grenade split the head in half, leaving the right face on one shoulder, the left face on the other. […] Two bodies were burned to crisps, one atop the other, fused into one charred hump” After the battle was over, the Americans erected a wooden interpretive sign at the foot of Clevesy Pass honoring Yamasaki, a rare gesture considering the intensity of the war at the time.  The battle of Attu was done. The Americans found and interred 2351 corpses, but guessed hundreds more Japanese bodies were buried all over the place. They took 28 prisoners in all, mostly men knocked unconscious by shell explosions or too badly wounded to kill themselves. Scouring the landscape over the following days, a few dozen more Japanese were found hiding in foxholes, often in small groups. The US soldiers called upon them to surrender, but these men usually killed themselves with grenades or opened fire to receive a bullet back. Two Japanese gave themselves up willing however. One was from San Francisco, the other, a short, fat and good humored man dubbed “the Japanese 8-ball”, by the GI's was treated kindly and even allowed to eat in the mess tents. PFC Howard Sparrs described the 8-Balls capture as such “ [Private Emerson] Burgett pulled out a Jap battle flag which he held up in front of the little fellow. The Jap shook his head violently in the negative and gestured so not a doubt remained – “Take it away!” The inner pockets of his coat revealed an assorted, and incidentally excellent, collection of […] pornography […] on silk handkerchiefs. The little Jap smiled innocently as Burgett gazed appraisingly over the collection (which, by the way, he pocketed)”  The Japanese lost approximately 2850 men dead, the Americans had 549 deaths, 1148 wounded and around 2100 evacuated due to frostbite, trench foot, hypothermia and other ailments. A number of lessons were learnt from the battle, including new landing techniques, and the necessity for rubberized, thoroughly waterproofed boots. Can't express the importance of that last one enough, I once got a black toe in my stupid youth drinking outdoors with some friends in like -35 degree weather in bad boots, does not end well. The men on Attu had been given expensive, thick and insulated leather hunting boots, but these become absolutely useless once soaked in water. After Attu, improved winter kits emerged, and cases of hypothermia, frostbite or trench foot would become very rare among American soldiers even during bitterly cold campaigns in Italy and France.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The bitter and bloody and cold campaign for Attu was now finally over. Colonel Yamasaki decided to go out in a blaze of glory with his men, in a fashion that would make the last samurai Saigo Takamori proud. 

Welcome, fellow firearm enthusiasts, to a heart-pounding episode of "The History of the M1 Garand"! I stand alone as your host, an unwavering advocate for the right to bear arms, and today we embark on a thrilling journey through the chronicles of one of the most iconic rifles in American history. Prepare to be immersed in the gripping tale of the M1 Garand, a true marvel of engineering that redefined the battlefield. From its inception in the early 1930s to its triumphant service in World War II and beyond, the M1 Garand stands tall as a symbol of American exceptionalism and unwavering firepower. Join me as we delve into the remarkable craftsmanship behind this legendary firearm. We'll uncover the secrets of its gas-operated action, its seamless semi-automatic performance, and the unmistakable "ping" that echoed through battlefields, signaling the triumph of American firepower. But our exploration doesn't stop there. We'll uncover the untold stories of soldiers whose lives were forever changed by the M1 Garand. From the Normandy beaches to the snowy fields of Korea, this rifle became a trusted companion, delivering freedom's message with unyielding precision. Fast forward to the present day, and we witness the M1 Garand's enduring legacy. Collectors proudly showcase these historic treasures, while shooting competitions celebrate its accuracy and reliability. The M1 Garand lives on as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the American gun culture. So lock and load, my friends, and join me on this pulse-pounding odyssey through the history of the M1 Garand. This episode will leave you in awe of its power, inspired by its legacy, and ignited with a deep appreciation for the indelible mark it has left on the world. Get ready to immerse yourself in the captivating story of the M1 Garand like never before!

Too big for TV, Feinstein, Eric Sewagewell, Willes Lee out. Low Number Springfields, O3-A3, Rhineland Arms 2000, Vertelli in 6.5 Carcano, M1 Garand failure to extract.

In part 2 of this series Miyanovich and Mags discuss: the venerable Garand and its realties, semi-auto v. bolt action in the European theater, the M1918A3 BAR, the German K98 Kurz, hating fucking Nazis, the Luger P08 pistol and its weird-cool toggle action, expensive P08 holsters, the so-so P38, and various other pieces from Jon's collection. 

In this special episode, Danny and Ashley discuss what they want for Christmas and it involves cake, M1 Garand scabbards, and a PhD for Ashley.   Produced by Kamila Kudelska. Theme song by Corey Anco. 

• Ep. 49 with Reed Coverdale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5YJUkAE8c&t=645s • Reed's M1 Garand video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GbbBSblfQ_A • Jeremy Kauffman's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBzavZ40TQj-sVjP9Jmb8w • Reed's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ReedCoverdale Follow me on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@MLiamMcCollum:f Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MLiamMcCollum My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/liammccollum

In this cream frother of an episode we tell stories about people traveling through dimensions and FBI documents that acknowledge it. Then we get into the Cold War's Second Korean War. We may even scrape on the James webb Telescope's new images for a minute or two. Stay stinky, grandchildren.

In this episode, Dan Berkholder is joined by his brother, Jason Berkholder to discuss one of the greatest icons of American history, the M1 Garand.

Happy Independence Day! Jon Bernstein and Sam Lichtman join Nick, William, and Nancy to chat about one of the most iconic weapons of war, the M1 Garand. Mr. Bernstein, who works at the National Museum of the Marine Corps is part of the team that is restoring and bringing a unique rifle from the Makin The post Scuttlebutt Ep 42: The M1 Garand, A True Classic appeared first on MCA.

Happy Independence Day! Jon Bernstein and Sam Lichtman join Nick, William, and Nancy to chat about one of the most iconic weapons of war, the M1 Garand. Mr. Bernstein, who works at the National Museum of the Marine Corps is part of the team that is restoring and bringing a unique rifle from the Makin The post Scuttlebutt Ep 42: The M1 Garand, A True Classic appeared first on MCA.

In this stink crack we talk about the Korean War's Battle of Chosin Reservoir and we dig deep into Colorado's early 20th century Coalfield Wars. Stay lubed with us and thanks for listening, grandchildren.

In light of DDay June 6, I have decided to rerun this interview made for Veteran's Day of last year.   The  M-1 Garand, the standard rifle for  World War II Infantryman. becomes a microphone for the living members of the Greatest Generation.  Join me in conversation with Mr. Andrew Biggio, US Marine, combat veteran, and Massachusetts police officer,  author of The Rifle: Combat Stories From America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand.. published by Regnery History.  Mr. Biggio traveled the country to speak with over 200 living veterans from World War II.    He shares with us their stories of war, deprivation, courage, and tenacity both on the battlefield and in the decades after the war.    This show is dedicated to my father-in-law, Colonel James J. McAloon who was truly the very best of the Greatest Generation. You can connect with Mr. Biggio's nonprofit to help wounded veterans Boston's Wounded Vet Run @ Theyfoughtweride.com. 

The M1 Garand may be the most iconic rifle in American history.It was instrumental in enhancing the lethality of our war fighters at the time and its impact on the outcome of WWII can't be overstated. Mark Boardman and Jimmy Hamilton grab Alexander Lewis and Ryan Muckenhirn to talk about the form, function, history and unique attributes of this wood and steel masterpiece.As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

Did you know that Gun Owners of California is the oldest pro-gun political action committee in America? Gun Owners of California is “…against gun control and for crime control, and those are two vastly different things.” Learn more about what this amazing PRO2A organization is doing to restore the Second Amendment in California. TIME CODES:1:16 - California's PROGUN history25:51 - Riding Shotgun with Charlie Cook46:18 - Telling Marines' untold stories with Vic Ruble58:34 - M1 Garand: This is my rifle “Defense of the Second Amendment is not about saving guns. It's about saving lives; it's about saving freedom and liberty.” Learn more about Gun Owners of California with Executive Director, Sam Paredes. https://www.gunownersca.com/ https://www.gunownersca.com/product/confrontational-politics/ Who is Charlie Cook? Get to know this intrepid band teacher that moonlights as a valiant defender and advocate of the Second Amendment. Connect with Charlie at: https://ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com/ … or meet him in person a the San Diego Gun Prom on June 18, 2022! Stories matter. Deputy Editor, and Scuttlebutt podcast host, Vic Ruble joins in studio to share his mission to tell the untold stories of the soldiers serving our country. Get to know the most official un-official organization associated with the Marine Corps. https://mca-marines.org/scuttlebutt/ “Perhaps more than any other military rifle, John Garand's iconic M1 holds a special place in the hearts of military riflemen and civilian enthusiasts alike. From the jungles of the South Pacific to the infamous “Frozen Chosin,” Marines carried this revolutionary arm for nearly two decades, using it to deadly effect in some of the Corps' most famous battles.” Learn more about the M1 Garand with Sam Lichtman, accomplished author and firearm enthusiast. https://www.magloft.com/article/org.mca.marines/144015 #guns #gunowners #2a #2ndAmendment #2ACA #ca42a #gunownersradio #gunrights #gunownersrights #rkba #shallnotbeinfringed #pewpew -- The right to self-defense is a basic human right. Gun ownership is an integral part of that right. If you want to keep your Second Amendment rights, defend them by joining San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO), Orange County Gun Owners (OCGO), or Inland Empire Gun Owners (IEGO). Support the cause by listening to Gun Owners Radio live on Sunday afternoon or on any podcast app at your leisure. Together we will win. https://www.sandiegocountygunowners.com https://orangecountygunowners.com http://inlandempiregunowners.com https://www.firearmspolicy.org https://www.gunownersca.com https://gunowners.org Show your support for Gun Owners Radio sponsors! Get expert legal advice on any firearm-related issues: https://dillonlawgp.com Need a mortgage or VA loan? Call Chris Wiley! https://www.primeres.com/alpine Get the top legal defense for your self-defense: https://www.uslawshield.com Smarter web development and digital marketing help: https://www.sagetree.com Visit Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers, your one-stop-shop for all your Jewelry needs: https://leohamel.com Learn to FLY at SDFTI! San Diego Flight Training International: https://sdfti.com

In episode 2 of this 6 part series, Mr. Parker tells more stories of his teen years, riding horseback in weekend rodeo's and courting the girl who would later become his wife. He also discusses how he ultimately was drafted into the US Army in WWII and trained to be an infantryman using the greatest battle weapon ever devised, according to Gen. Patton: the M1 Garand rifle.

Canadian truckers and other citizens are pushing back. They need our prayers, and if possible, our help. And, what is the "coriolis" effect? Is it important? We'll tell you... Also, each passing day proves the covid "vaccines" do not work (we'll give you the latest evidence)... and a true American minuteman rifle--the M1 Garand with 3x optic. Interesting! We hope you'll tune in. :)

The absolute best service rifle the US military has ever fielded is the M16 family of weapons. This is a fact that really isn't debatable unless you're a contrarian, so today the boys are trying to figure out what rifle is the "best of the rest." Is the M14 the second best service rifle? Or perhaps the M1 Garand?

Tanner and I comb through some patch notes and talk 2 new Vanguard weapons in Warzone right now before getting into the startling reveal of RICOCHET: Activision's new anti-cheat system coming to Call of Duty. 00:00:00 - Intro & acknowledgments 00:07:03 - Announcements 00:16:44 - Warzone patch notes/STG-44 & M1 Garand in Warzone 00:37:47 - Vanguard zombies reveal 00:40:35 - Vanguard weapons will have 10 attachments in Warzone 00:54:58 - Warzone anti-cheat: RICOCHET 01:23:57 - Vanguard 2 & 3 in the works 01:31:07 - CoD 2022 will be "Modern Warfare II" 01:37:07 - iTunes review of the week 01:40:28 - Plugs, reminders, & outro The podcast is streamed live on our website (https://www.thedropshot.com/live) every Wednesday and Saturday night at 7 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking out the podcast!

You wouldn't believe how these ninety-year-old WWII heroes come alive when you put a rifle in their hands.Andrew Biggio, a young U.S. Marine, returned from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq full of questions about the price of war. He went looking for answers from those who had survived the costliest war of all—WWII veterans.His book, the Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told through an M1 Garand is the answer to his questions. For two years, Biggio traveled across the country to interview America's last living WWII veterans. Thousands from our Greatest Generation locked their memories away, never sharing what they had endured with family and friends, taking their stories to the grave. So how did this young Marine get them to talk? By putting a 1945 M1 Garand rifle in their hands and watching as their eyes lit up with memories triggered by holding the weapon that had been with them every step of the war.It began when Biggio bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, WWII veteran Corporal Joseph Drago, unlocking memories Drago had kept unspoken for fifty years. On the spur of the moment, Biggio asked Drago to sign the rifle. Thus began this Marine's mission to find as many WWII veterans as he could, get their signatures on the rifle, and document their stories.With each visit and every story told to Biggio, the veterans signed their names to the rifle. Ninety-six signatures now cover that rifle. Each signature represents a person, the battles endured during the war, and the PTSD battles fought after it. These are unfiltered, inspiring, and heartbreaking stories told by the last living WWII veterans—stories untold until now.

Andrew Biggio grew up in Boston as part of a family steeped in military service. In fact, he is named for his great uncle, who was killed in action in Italy during World War II. Andrew joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2006 and was deployed as a rifleman to Iraq in 2008 and later to Afghanistan.After leaving the Marine Corps in 2012, Biggio wanted to learn what really happened to his great uncle. That quest turned into a much bigger odyssey, as he interviewed scores of World War II veterans from all branches and who served in both Europe and the Pacific. And he added a twist. Biggio bought a 1945 M1 Garand that he placed in the hands of the veterans as he spoke with them and each of them signed the rifle. The final result was his powerful book, "The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand."In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Biggio shares the story of his own service, discusses the stories of many of the amazing veterans he interviewed, and what he learned along the way.

Jack Lucas was just 14 when he forged his mother's signature and joined the US Marine Corps in 1943.  He hid is age throughout training and was eventually stationed in Hawaii.  At 16, he stowed away on a ship headed for Iwa Jima.  Once he was discovered, he was already 17, the official fighting age.  The next few days would define who he was and place him on a short list of elite men who lived to tell the tale.

Jack Lucas was just 14 when he forged his mother's signature and joined the US Marine Corps in 1943.  He hid is age throughout training and was eventually stationed in Hawaii.  At 16, he stowed away on a ship headed for Iwa Jima.  Once he was discovered, he was already 17, the official fighting age.  The next few days would define who he was and place him on a short list of elite men who lived to tell the tale.

In this addition to the Behind the Badge series, Noah and Rhiannon sit down with Andrew Biggio (sans Chongo) to discuss his new book, The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand, and his role in the Winthrop Police Department and SWAT Team! Find us on social media! Facebook: CASA Community Action for Safe Alternatives Instagram: casa_yab Find The Rifle online! hint - Chongo's on our Instagram ;) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/casacast02152/message

Today we talk with author Andrew Biggio about his great new book "The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand" and the loss of the Greatest Generation.

BV chats with Andrew Biggio author of "The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand" on News Radio KKOB

Joining Audrey for this week's REELTalk - A young U.S. Marine, returned from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq full of questions about the price of war. He went looking for answers from those who had survived the costliest war of all—WWII veterans. ANDREW BIGGIO was that Marine and will be here to discuss his bestseller: The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told through an M1 Garand. PLUS, if you're becoming discouraged as you realize that a virus that almost 100% of the people who get it recover, was used by your government to take control of your freedoms, you're about to get encouraged because your freedoms are not lost. CHRIS SKY, author of the international bestseller Just Say No will be here to share about the book and his campaign! AND, The truth is coming out about the experimental gene therapy masquerading as a vaccine… thousands of deaths and maimings…so why isn't it being pulled from the market? bestselling author of The Red Thread, DIANA WEST, will be here! In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately." Come hang with us...

Welcome to the NH 2A Podcast where we discuss anything related to the Second Amendment including firearms, gear, and current events. Hosted by Jared and Jacob in the free state of New Hampshire. In this episode, we discuss the next episode in the Milsurp Chronicles - The M1 Garand. Highlights include an in-depth look at this historic rifle and a discussion of the massive role it played in WWII. Be proficient, politically active, and polite. *** Any information contained in this podcast should not be considered to be legal advice ***  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/nh2apodcast)

In this episode of The Interview, Hugh speaks with Andrew Biggio about his new book, "The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Biggio has a passion for history, he's a Marine infantryman who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, his great uncle (whose name he bears) was killed during the US Army's fight up the “Italian boot” against the German Army in World War II — all those factors combined to produce his outstanding book entitled “The […]

The  M-1 Garand, the standard rifle for  World War II Infantry man. becomes a microphone  for the living members of the Greatest Generation.  Join me in conversation with Mr. Andrew Biggio, US Marine, combat veteran and Massachusetts police officer,  author  of The Rifle: Combat Stories From America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand.. published by Regnery History.  Mr. Biggio traveled the country to speak with over 200 living veterans from World War II.    He shares with us their stories of war, deprivation, courage, and tenacity both on the battlefield and in the decades after the war.    This show is dedicated to my father-in-law, Colonel James B. McAloon who was truly the very best of the Greatest Generation. You can connect with Mr. Biggio's non profit to help wounded veterans Boston's Wounded Vet Run @ Theyfoughtweride.com. This is my 20th episode.  Let me know what you think of the show. michelem@archangelradio.com 

HLL will leave Early Access on July 27th, 2021. Where does the game stand after the last 2 years in this period of development? To answer this Digishadow and Inchon (with assistance from the live chat) break down the first EA Road Map and their 15 goals, along with 5 of our own. Some topics receive some high marks, others... well not so much. The tier list ranking is available for you to make your own and share! Also we discuss our feedback from PTE#3 which tested new SMDM and Stalingrad. JohnnyGunner is back with a side by side lethality comparison of an M1 Garand vs a Carbine round. And back by popular demand, hero and zero segment.

TranscriptWhat is a military-grade weapon? Should any of the firearms currently on the market in the United States be considered military-grade? Specifically, is the AR-15 a military-grade weapon? These questions are difficult to answer because “military-grade weapon” is another term in a long list of terms being used in the gun debate that have no specific, relevant meaning.  But, for the sake of argument, I'm going to attempt to find a working definition of “military-grade” in this episode of the Self-Evident podcast. So, here we go.  Full-Automatic FireThe most obvious firearm feature that we can universally consider “military-grade" is the capacity for full-auto fire or the ability to simulate or approach full-auto fire. That's because a full-automatic weapon is what's considered an area weapon, meaning it's designed to saturate an area with gunfire far beyond what's possible with manual pulls of the trigger. Area weapons fall into a broader category of weapons that are considered mass casualty devices, meaning their design fulfills a specific military need to cause mass casualties in an opposing force.  Because the civilian application of a firearm for self-defense falls quite exclusively into situations requiring what are called point weapons, firearms designed to deliver purposeful, precise, and controlled gunfire, there is an established tradition in American law that civilians do not have a protected right by nature of the second amendment for area weapons and mass casualty devices. This allows us to classify, based on existing law, Light Machine Guns, Assault Rifles, and Submachine Guns as military-grade weapons (legally, they are classified as machine guns). This also allows us, generally, to classify a semi-automatic weapon modified in some way to simulate or approach full-auto fire as a “military-grade weapon”.  However, if the limit of our definition of “military-grade” is only on the capability for full-auto fire, the debate would be closed. Manufacturing full-automatic weapons for general civilian use is already banned and the sale of existing full-automatic weapons is highly regulated. The highly complicated process for acquiring one of the little over 500,000 existing automatic weapons in the hands of civilians is so complicated and rigorous that their use in crime is virtually non-existent. There have only been three reported incidents of full-automatic weapons used in crimes since 1934 and none of these incidents were mass shootings. Additionally, the Vegas Shooting remains the only occurrence of semi-automatic weapons modified to simulate or approach automatic fire by use of external devices and those devices (bump-stocks) have since been banned. So, if we are to extend our working definition of “military-grade” to include any of the firearms currently on the market for purchase by the general public, we're going to have to discuss other firearm features. Since the AR-15 is the weapon most commonly accused of being military-grade, let's see if we can find a feature that helps in creating a broader definition of “military-grade” that makes sense. In this episode, I'm going to break down the features of an AR-15 to see if any of them can be highlighted as a feature that makes a weapon “military-grade.” The features of the AR-15 style rifle that I'm going to discuss will be semi-automatic fire, ammunition capacity, ammunition caliber, weight, length, material, grip style, attachments, and butt-stock modifications. Most of these features have either former laws, current laws, or proposed laws that would affect them. Does Semi-Auto Fire Make a Weapon “Military-grade”?Alright, so far, we've established that full-auto weapons, or machine guns, are already well regulated and that in order to have a working definition of “military-grade” that applies to firearms on the civilian market currently, we need to establish another firearm feature that can be considered “military-grade” beyond full-auto fire.  The first AR-15 feature we're going to discuss is the most striking feature that makes the AR-15 attractive to mass shooters: semi-automatic fire. Semi-automatic fire means simply one-shot for one trigger pull. It's called semi-automatic because while it's not full-automatic, the action of the weapon still automatically loads another bullet into the chamber after the fired projectile leaves the barrel. This means the user can release the trigger and pull it again to fire another shot. But a user cannot fire successive shots by merely holding down the trigger.  Semi-automatic fire was first developed in the late 1800s. It was a vast leap forward in firearm capability over the single-action firearm. A single-action firearm required the user to perform a manual operation to place another round in the chamber after he had fired a shot.  While a user could fire a single-action firearm rapidly, such rapid-fire required quick and jerky motions of the action or even creative handling of the weapon, the kind of stuff we often see in westerns. Semi-automatic fire not only made rapid-fire a standard feature, it allowed a user to maintain rapid-fire with a firm, steady grip on the weapon impacted only by recoil.  It is common among those who have little experience with firearms to mistake the term semi-automatic with the burst-fire capability of some modern assault rifles. Burst-fire is a modification of full-automatic fire that allows a user to fire a proscribed number of shots with each trigger pull instead of maintaining full-auto fire until the trigger is released. Burst-fire has no unique legal definition. The government considers it full-auto fire and regulates weapons capable of it as machine guns.  It is the rapid-fire capacity of semi-automatic weapons that can make mass shootings so deadly. Most mass shooters use semi-automatic weapons, inviting a conclusion that this feature of an AR-15 is what attributes most to its lethal nature.  However, is it reasonable to assert that semi-automatic capability makes a weapon “military-grade”? Semi-automatic weapons make up the bulk of modern weapons used by civilians for over a hundred years. In families with hunting and firearm traditions, most kids get a semi-automatic .22 as their first rifle. Mine was a Ruger 10/22 when I was twelve years old.    Semi-automatic weapons are so common in America that even the Federal Assault Weapons Ban left large swathes of them untouched and fully legal (there were 650 firearm exemptions). This was because even those who designed the ban had to concede banning all semi-automatic firearms would ban almost every popular weapon on the market.  Clearly, the semi-automatic feature is far too common in civilian use for us to credibly use it as the feature that defines a weapon as “military-grade.” In fact, purely semi-automatic weapons are surprisingly rare in military use. They are virtually non-existent outside of sidearms and designated marksman rifles. This fact, combined with the vast civilian use of semi-automatic weapons, makes it the most consistent feature of civilian-grade weapons.  This means we're going to have to continue looking at the AR-15's other features as we keep trying to define “military-grade” in a logical and usable way. So, let's discuss the next AR-15 feature so often treated as “military-grade”: ammunition capacity. Does Ammo Capacity Make a Weapon “Military-grade”?The noted phrase thrown around by those who back gun control when it comes to ammo capacity is "High-capacity." "High-Capacity Magazines" are a top target for gun regulation. Some states already have heavy regulations on what they define as high-capacity mags and on the weapons that can use them. Specific to the AR-15's ammo capacity, it has several standard magazine options which include 10, 20, and 30. Far less common, but still available, are 50-round drum-mags and 100-round dual drum-mags. Given the ability to quickly reload an AR-15, ammunition capacity beyond the standard magazine options has not played as significant a part in making the AR-15 more lethal in its application as some might assume. But it does play a role if the shooter knows enough about the proper operation of his weapon.   The ability to maintain a steady barrage of fire leaves fewer gaps for a driven response against the shooter. It can also allow a much higher saturation of fire at the start of a shooting if the shooter targets tightly packed crowds or if the shooter is placed at a choke point. If a shooter overcomes the higher chance of the weapon jamming, a far clumsier reload, and the increased difficulty of storing and concealing such large magazines, the shooter achieves the potential for using what would otherwise be a point weapon as an area weapon. However, military and law enforcement rarely use mags beyond 30-round capacity, if ever. This is because most drum-mags are known to jam. Also, experience has shown that the pause in shooting forced by a reload keeps the weapon from overheating, avoiding weapon-crippling malfunction. Constant reloads also help combat the effects of tunnel vision. In fact, the M16 was first fielded in Vietnam with only 20-round magazines because the military did not yet consider the available 30-round magazines reliable enough for the field. Drum magazines in use by active shooters have malfunctioned and jammed. Specifically, the Aurora Colorado Shooter may have been able to kill many more than just 17, given the confined space and the locked exit, if he had not used a 100-round dual drum magazine that caused his weapon to fail repeatedly. Yes, most weapons in use by the military use detachable magazines with a capacity above 20, even the ones that aren't semi-auto. There are reasons for this. However, using the ammo capacity as a way to classify a weapon as military-grade runs into the same problem that trying to use the semi-auto feature does. Most semi-auto weapons use detachable mags or have internal magazines with considerable capacity. Remember that Ruger 10/22 I got when I was 12? It has virtually all the same magazine capacity options as an AR-15. Most popular, and even outdated, semi-automatic pistols have extended and drum magazines designed for them as well. So, once again, we're talking about the vast majority of civilian-owned firearms. All of the same problems that I discussed earlier, in regards to semi-automatic firearms, also apply to weapons that can use large magazines. To classify firearms as military-grade based on their ability to accept large magazines would be to classify most civilian-owned and used guns over the last century as military-grade. Clearly, ammo capacity doesn't make for a military-grade weapon. But, in this aspect at least, gun reform activists have taken a different tact and gone after the magazines themselves. They argue if they can ban magazines beyond a certain capacity, then semi-automatic weapons become far less deadly. They also assert that just as there is no civilian need for an area weapon, like I talked about earlier, there is also no civilian need for high-capacity magazines. They're saying that instead of classifying weapons as military-grade we can instead classify accessories, like high-capacity magazines, as military-grade. With this one, the devils in the details. As I mentioned before, the military and police do not use drum magazines because they are unwieldy and highly prone to causing weapon failure. They're also difficult to carry effectively on your person. Mass shooters have only used drum magazines in a few instances. It is arguable whether they afforded any impact on the number of casualties since the perpetrators of most of the worst mass shootings used only standard-size magazines. Clearly, to have an impact, a ban on magazines would have to target more than the 50 and 100-round drum magazines. So, what would be a sufficient number to specify? The amount would have to be surprisingly low to have any impact.   Do you remember what we talked about earlier with M16s in Vietnam, how soldiers only had 20-round magazines? Any surviving Viet Cong can probably attest to the M16's effective use even with 20-round magazines.   So, we're left with the smallest AR-15 magazine size: 10. But, if you've been paying attention to the pattern here, you'll probably see the issue. Most of the semi-automatic weapons in use by civilians, especially pistols, have a standard mag capacity larger than ten. The reality of the vast majority of civilian semi-automatic weapons is that what most gun-control activists deride as “high-capacity” is actually standard capacity. Once again, we are forced to conclude that ammunition capacity, whether of the firearm or the magazine, is not reasonable grounds to consider a weapon military-grade. Alright, so thus far we've discussed semi-automatic fire and ammo capacity. We've been forced to conclude that while both features make the AR-15 a capable and formidable firearm, it is not possible to use these features as the foundation for a workable definition of military-grade. The majority of civilian firearms over the last century have these features. Since such weapons are in common usage by civilians, we could not reasonably call any of them “military-grade.”  So, next up in the features we're going to discuss is caliber. Does Caliber Make a Weapon “Military-Grade”?The caliber of the typical AR-15 is .223 or, as NATO designates it using the metric system, 5.56x45mm. While there are certain specification differences between ammunition labeled as .223 and 5.56, many popular AR-15s can shoot both. So, we'll consider those differences as beyond the scope of this discussion. The definition of caliber is the size of the barrel through which the projectile travels. This means that an AR-15's barrel is in the ball bark of .223 inches, or 5.56 millimeters, in diameter.     The .223 is a bottlenecked, intermediate round. It was developed along with the first assault rifle variant of the AR-15 (later dubbed the M16). The developers had three clear goals in mind. First, to decrease weapon recoil compared to the full power cartridges used by battle rifles. Second, to increase magazine ammunition capacity and the single soldier's combat load. And third, to provide higher velocity compared to slower moving and larger rounds.  Intermediate cartridges are directly related to the development of the assault rifle class of firearm. The term assault rifle derives from the German World War II weapon Sturmgewehr 44 (literally Storm-gun, meaning a weapon to storm or assault an enemy position). The Sturmgewehr is considered the first assault rifle and utilized the first intermediate round, the 7.92x33mm Kurz.  Alright, so why did assault rifles so rapidly become the standard-issue weapons of militaries across the world? Because it bridged the gaps between three different classes of firearm: carbines, submachine guns, and battle rifles. Now, a squad of soldiers could carry only one type of firearm utilizing the same ammunition, and capable of fulfilling the roles once carried out by three different weapons. An assault rifle had the length and light-weight of a carbine, the rate-of-fire of a submachine gun, and could approach the accuracy and effective distance of a battle rifle.   So, does this allow us to use the ammunition caliber of an AR-15 as the basis for considering it military grade? Not quite. There is one small problem with this approach. An assault rifle, given its selective fire capability, meaning it has the option for automatic fire, is considered by US law a machine gun and is highly regulated (as I discussed earlier). An AR-15, to be manufactured and sold to the general public, cannot have selective fire capability. A civilian AR-15 is purely semi-automatic. Therefore, we cannot classify it as an assault rifle. In the civilian market, it is often either classified as a carbine, a modern sport rifle, or sometimes within the broader definition of varmint rifle.  It is my opinion, and the view of many firearm experts, that absent the selective-fire function, the advantages of an intermediate round are, in many ways, canceled out. Without selective-fire, an AR-15 becomes either just another carbine (in its shortened form) or a substandard battle rifle (in its full-size form). Higher ammunition capacity and compactness can be achieved using true carbines (many of which fire pistol rounds). And, better performance and lethality can be achieved with a true battle rifle (which uses larger full power cartridges). The AR-15 is the most popular civilian firearm because it's affordable and highly customizable. Most true carbines and true battle rifles are two to three times the cost. That many consider the caliber to be sub-par is reflected by the prevalence of modifying AR-15s to either use pistol ammunition or full-power ammunition. This can better match a civilian AR-15 into a civilian weapon class.  Even the military is trying to improve upon the 5.56/.223. There have been many reports over the last fifty years of the M16 failing to provide sufficient stopping power. The most famous instance was in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. Rangers, SEALs, and Delta Operators all reported that indigenous militia high on narcotics were able to withstand a considerable amount of direct hits before being taken out of the fight. The US Army and the US Marines have been working to develop a round to better bridge the gap between standard intermediate rounds and traditional full power rounds for years. This includes the ongoing attempt to adopt the 6.8 Remington. Many improved intermediate rounds resulting from these efforts are in use by special operation units.  Given that civilian AR-15s are using such rounds as 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.8 Remington, 7.62 NATO, and even .30-06 and .300 Win Mag, I could claim that civilian innovation has surpassed slow-moving military bureaucracy.  We can conclude that the AR-15, absent selective-fire, falls into the broader category of carbines and battle rifles. This conclusion, and the reality that its caliber is less efficient within those categories, makes it impossible to designate the AR-15 as military-grade based on caliber. The vast majority of carbines and virtually all battle rifles are more effective than the AR-15 in their roles. This means classifying only the AR-15 as military-grade would be to arbitrarily classify a single weapon that's arguably less effective than other similar firearms available on the civilian market. And, if we expanded the definition to include all carbines and battle rifles, we would once again cast too broad a net. We would render most civilian weapons utilized over the last hundred years as contraband.  We must conclude that caliber is not sufficient grounds to consider the AR-15 a military-grade weapon.  At this point, we still only have one firearm feature that allows for a classification of “military-grade”: full-automatic fire, a feature already under intense regulations, regulations that have proven sufficient to keep such weapons from being used to perpetrate crimes. Thus far we have discussed three features of the AR-15 rifle: semi-auto fire, ammo capacity, and caliber. In each case, I have established that each feature is common, and even sub-par, in most civilian-used firearms over the last century. We are forced to conclude that we cannot use any of these three features to classify the AR-15 as military-grade without likewise classifying most civilian-owned firearms. So, let's quickly discuss the three final features of the AR-15 that we're going to consider: light-weight construction, length, and accessories. Does Lightweight Construction Make a Weapon “Military-Grade”?The typical AR-15 uses a lightweight polymer construction. In its early military application, this allowed for several things. First, it lowered the cost of weapon manufacture. Second, it freed up weight in a soldier's basic combat load for other necessities and options, including more ammunition. Third, the polymer construction was better suited for humid climates. An interesting anecdote from the Vietnam era is the story of the M14. Their wood stocks would often crack in the early years of the Vietnam War. Despite it being arguably the best battle rifle ever made, this specific failure ended up being one of the main factors that led to their replacement by the M16. However, in the last fifty years, lightweight polymer construction has become a mainstay in the civilian market as well. Some of the most popular pistols on the market, including the Glock and S&W M&P, are predominantly constructed of polymer. Every type of firearm, including shotguns, hunting rifles, and even revolvers, can be purchased with a polymer frame. Females especially purchase and use polymer weapons for recreation and self-defense due to their lightweight. Maybe in the early days of the military's adoption of lightweight polymer weapons, an argument could be made for it being a military-grade feature. But polymer weapons have flooded the civilian market over the last fifty years and are now a typical, if not prevalent, feature in civilian firearms.  Does Length Make a Weapon “Military-Grade”?So, what about length? Unbeknownst to many outside the firearms world, length is probably the most lethal feature in a civilian firearm. Statistics estimate that the United States has averaged around 33,000 firearm-related deaths over the past decade. Two-thirds of those deaths are suicides. Of the remaining deaths, firearm-related homicides, most are perpetrated with handguns. This is because the criminal element is better served by firearms they can easily conceal, both before and after the crime.   The AR-15 is a tactical weapon. This means it can be altered significantly for different applications. While a shortened barrel and butt-stock may decrease an AR-15's effective range, it makes the weapon easier to conceal and more effective in close-quarter situations. The AR-15 can be designed or altered to be extremely short. The National Firearms Act of 1934 designates such a weapon as a Short-barreled Rifle or SBR. Anyone who purchases or creates a weapon fitted with a butt-stock that has a barrel shorter than 16 inches must register that weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (the ATF). Possession of an SBR that an owner has failed to register is a felony. Moreover, no one can transport an SBR over state lines without filing proper documentation with the ATF. It should be noted that a felony firearm charge is serious business for a gun owner. If convicted, you could lose your right to bear arms permanently.  These regulations have ensured that criminals have largely been unable to use SBRs in their crimes. Most SBR owners have modified their weapons aftermarket and registered them appropriately. Mass shooters have typically used their weapons as they were when they purchased or obtained them. The notable exception is the AR pistol. Since an SBR definition requires a butt-stock, an AR-15 with its butt-stock removed is legally considered a pistol.   Such weapons have been used very rarely in active shootings. Nevertheless, there's currently an open debate about whether we should close the AR pistol “loophole” in SBR laws. But this topic is beyond our present discussion. Our focus is on whether the features of the AR-15 can allow for a designation of military-grade. The danger and lethality of easily concealed weapons factor mainly in civilian use. While the military does use the M4 Carbine with a 14.5-inch barrel, it applies it as a carbine for tactical situations and not for its ability to be concealed.   I've often argued that it would make more sense to designate weapons with barrels between 12 and 16 inches as carbines. I don't think a weapon becomes truly a functional SBR until the barrel is shorter than 12-inches. I handled M4s often in the military, and I would not confidently say that the 5.5-inch difference between an M16 and M4 makes it that much easier to conceal, even with the telescoping butt-stock.  It makes a world of difference in close quarters combat, which translates to excellent home defense usage in the civilian world. But concealability? There's no advantage at all. So, given that lethality by-way-of length is a specifically civilian application, we cannot consider it a feature that allows a designation of military-grade. Further, handguns are what law-abiding gun owners carry for self-defense and what criminals typically use to perpetrate crimes. Going singly after the AR-15 for its length options, while leaving handguns alone, would do little to deter firearm violence. And, going after handguns would once more target some of the most prevalent types of civilian-owned firearms. While the length of long guns is concerning for their lethality in criminal use, current laws already deal with that concern, and there are ongoing debates about updating those laws. Specific to the question of designating the AR-15 itself as military-grade, the options of varying lengths do not meet the threshold.  Do Accessories Make a Weapon “Military-Grade”?So, what about all the bells and whistles? There are a lot of accessories available for AR-15 style rifles. For the most part, these accessories break down into optics, grips, flashlights, and lasers.  The AR-15 is indeed one of the most versatile weapons for attachments and upgrades. It can be outfitted with various types of attachment rails, the most common of which are Picatinny rails. However, Picatinny rails and similar attachment points are general innovations in firearm technology. They are far from unique to the AR-15. When it comes to civilian firearms, Picatinny rails have become a standard form of attachment point for optics and other attachment options on most civilian firearms, including pistols, shotguns, and hunting rifles. Since most AR-15 accessories are designed to attach to Picatinny rails or similar attachment point technology, they can be attached to any weapon likewise equipped. Once more, we're talking about trying to class an AR-15 as military-grade using a feature that more or less every firearm on the civilian market could have. There Is No Single Feature That Makes an AR-15 “Military-grade”Alright, so we've been through just about every specific feature we can consider when it comes to the AR-15: semi-auto fire, ammo capacity, caliber, light-weight construction, length, and accessories. In each instance, we've had to determine that each of these features are standard across all weapon types on the civilian market. So, here's the major conclusion we are forced to find: The AR-15 cannot be considered military-grade by way of any single feature. Each major feature of the AR-15 is not only present in other common civilian firearms; they are prevalent. There is no way to classify the AR-15 as military-grade based upon any one of its features without similarly designating the vast majority of civilian firearms.  Does a Combination of Features Make a Weapon “Military-grade”?But we're not done yet. Let's discuss one last recourse for attempting to define the AR-15 as military-grade. What if we try to build a definition of “military-grade” based on a combination of the AR-15's features. After all, this is exactly what the former Federal Assault Weapons ban tried to do with its legal definition of assault weapon. As students of recent history may recall, the Federal Assault Weapons ban enacted by President Clinton took the route of combining AR-15 features to create a legal definition for an assault weapon. Listeners should note that the term assault weapon exists in legal language only. It has never been considered an actual category of firearms among enthusiasts, developers, historians, in law enforcement, or in the military. So, let's take a look at how the Federal Assault Weapons Ban defined an assault weapon and see if it aids in creating a working definition of a military-grade firearm.  The Federal Assault Weapons Ban defined a rifle as an assault weapon if it was 1) a semi-automatic rifle with 2) detachable magazines that had 3) two or more additional features from a list of five features: folding or telescoping stock, pistol grip, bayonet mount, flash hider or threaded barrel, or grenade launcher.   If we adopt the same legal definition that the FAW used for assault weapons as what constitutes a military-grade weapon, then the AR-15 clearly falls into that category. Based on our discussion so far, I'm sure it comes as no surprise when I tell you there are problems with this definition.   As we established earlier, the main aspects of an AR-15 that make it lethal are its semi-automatic capability and its detachable magazines. The additional features required in the definition of an assault weapon amount to little more than aesthetics specifically designed to target typical AR-15 style weapons. But any AR-15 can be modified to eliminate these additional features. Just Google “California Compliant Firearm” and you'll find a myriad of AR-15 designs that overcome the FAW's definition of assault weapon.  Some of these firearms are silly, look ridiculous, and many even impact their effective use to a certain point, but most of them maintain the two effective aspects of the AR-15 we've discussed: semi-automatic fire and detachable magazines. These firearms frustrate the legal definitions of assault weapons due to their alterations and would escape our attempts to classify them as military-grade if we used the same definition. But, crucially, these weapons are not truly diminished in their function. They are still functioning AR-15 style weapons that ultimately have no diminished lethal capacity.  Clearly, a definition of military-grade crafted on the assault weapon language of the FAW is essentially a hollow definition if the goal is to decrease the level of firepower available to a mass shooter. There is no escaping the facts of the AR-15's functionality: the main features that make these weapons deadly are semi-automatic fire and detachable magazines. And, as I've demonstrated, there is no way to craft a definition of military-grade using those features because they are typical in civilian use over the last century.An Insurmountable Fact  So, here's the insurmountable fact of this whole discussion: the AR-15 is little more and little else than the most popular semi-automatic firearm among numerous and plentiful civilian-style semi-automatic firearms. There is not a single feature of an AR-15 nor combination of features that can overcome that fact. No matter the moniker we attempt to apply, whether it's “military-grade” as we have entertained in this episode, “assault weapon” as the FAW tried, or the other popular definitions such as “weapon of war” or “military-style”, the features of the AR-15 itself are far from unique in the civilian world.  Abandoning All PretensesAs a final exercise, let's abandon all pretenses of weapon classification. After all, the AR-15 is indeed the weapon of choice for mass shooters. Let's entertain the idea of banning the AR-15 specifically based on that fact alone. Surely, that will have some impact, right?  Doubtful. There would still be popular and effective semi-automatic firearms on the market, like the SCAR, ACR, Steyr AUG, AK-47, FN P90, or HK MP5, only to name a few. Sure, many of these guns are far more expensive than the AR-15 and some of them are less reliable, but will something as small as a price tag dissuade a mass shooter? Not likely. Alright, so let's say we expand our ban to cover all semi-automatic firearms that are AR-15 style. Now we've made a dent, right? Once again, no. There are many, many battle rifles, carbines, and demilitarized submachine guns on the civilian market, like the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M14, and civilian variants of the HK G3, FN FAL, and Thompson Submachine Gun. Once again, these weapons are often higher in price, but many of them could actually prove to be more lethal in an active shooter situation than an AR-15, a discomforting thought when mass shooters are unlikely to be dissuaded by a higher price tag.  So, what if we at least just reintroduce the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and just beef it up by specifically banning all AR-15's, AR-15 style weapons, and any semi-auto originally designed for use by the military? Even that still wouldn't keep a mass shooter from getting his hands on a weapon with the same capabilities as an AR-15.  The Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle was specifically designed as a varmint rifle, and while it has variants designed for military use, it has only seen limited law enforcement action. It is a weapon built from the ground up for use by civilians with a specific civilian application. It's the big brother of the Ruger 10/22 I mentioned earlier, the one I got when I was a kid.  Built on the same idea as that .22 rifle, it's beefed up to the .223 round the AR-15 uses. It was designed with ranchers and farmers in mind to take out varmints and critters as small as prairie dogs and as big as coyotes without having to use the much bigger and much higher velocity rounds that most hunting rifles use. The semi-automatic capability is valuable because we're talking about small fast-moving critters that are gonna run out of sight or jump in a hole before you can reload a single action weapon.   Again, this Mini-14 is designed with no military or police function in mind, and yet in some ways, it's better than the AR-15. Its design is newer, and its internal workings are far more rugged. It uses what's called a gas-piston rod, which leads to considerably fewer malfunctions than the AR-15, which utilizes direct-gas impingement. Without getting too nitty-gritty, this means that if you fire an AR-15 one-hundred times, it will likely jam, but if you fire a Mini-14 one-hundred times, it likely won't.  There Is No Neat Line of Separation Between Military and Civilian FirearmsThe reality of the firearms world is there's no neat line of separation between military and civilian firearms. Throughout the history of firearms, military and civilian innovation have coordinated and fed off of each other's developments. The idea of a weapon being specifically military-grade does not bear out with the facts. Even the restrictions on full-automatic weapons had more to do with law enforcement being outgunned by criminals in the '20s and '30s than it did with any specific “military-grade” weapon classification.  The goal of gun control activists is to push back against the growing occurrence of mass shootings. Their singular focus on firearms, and specifically on the AR-15, does not serve their goal. Mass confiscation of the majority of civilian-owned guns, removing all semi-automatic weapons, would be the minimum needed confiscation to impact the options available to a mass shooter.   Even this draconian, and likely impossible, approach would not remove the threat. The University of Texas tower shooting killed 18 and wound 31. The shooter predominantly used a bolt-action rifle. The D.C. Sniper killed 17 and wounded 10 utilizing an AR-15 variant, but not in a way that maximizes the weapons capabilities. The tactics he utilized would have led to the same results with single-action weapons, possibly with worse results utilizing a gun designed for long-range effectiveness.   Sadly, government gun control is not the sweeping solution most activists think it would be. Many have called for at least a return of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. But the Columbine Shooting took place when the FAW was in effect, killing 13 and wounding 24. The modern trend of mass shootings began during the FAW and picked up momentum despite its provisions.   What we're dealing with is a trend that parallels the dramatic increase in suicide, self-radicalization, and endemic anti-social behavior. These conditions lead to behaviors that culminate in violence and death. Removing only one of the many possible means to this inevitable end would solve very little. Crafting pseudo-definitions to justify banning or seizing firearms from law-abiding citizens is not an answer to the problem.   This Isn't “Gunsplaining” and It Isn't “Preaching to the Choir”If you've stayed with me up to this point, thanks for going down this rabbit hole with me. I've said nothing most firearm enthusiasts don't already know and, honestly, there are going to be many who just don't even see the point. In their view, anyone who, at this point, still wants increased gun regulations just isn't even worth engaging with. Conversely, there's going to be a lot of people that just roll their eyes at my “gunsplaining” and will disregard my attempts to lay out the facts. They'll wrap up this entire discussion in a “he's just a gun nut” bow and move along.  But I think it's important to keep having these kinds of discussions. First off, I refuse to give up on my fellow Americans, even if they totally disregard and disrespect my perspective. The growing instinct among many Americans to disengage with those they disagree with is a troubling trend that I refuse to take part of. And secondly, I think it's important to reassert the importance of highly relevant perspectives. A solid principle of the progressive viewpoint is the idea of “governing according to expert opinion.” There are few on the Left who would craft plumbing laws without consulting plumbing experts, electrical grid guidelines without consulting electricians, fiscal matters without consulting experts in economics, and on and on. Specific to recent events, the clarion call on the Left has been “follow the science” as they've argued to defer to the knowledge of epidemiologists and other scientists in facing the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, there's a glaring disconnect in this typical approach to public policy when it comes to firearms. Because they “just want to do something” in the face of what they feel is a runaway epidemic of gun violence, they are latching onto policy ideas that experts and enthusiasts in the firearm industry can clearly demonstrate will have no meaningful impact, and yet these experts and enthusiasts are wholly disregarded as self-interested “rednecks” who want “big guns to compensate for their insecurities.”  Well, I hope I've demonstrated in this podcast that I'm more than just a gun nut clinging to my gun and spitting in the face of all reason. I'm hardly an expert in this topic, yet I've still presented what I feel is a very salient and persuasive argument on behalf of my perspective. I hope there a few hearts and minds out there that I've touched and, at the very least, some of you might be a little more educated about the reality of firearms.  We Either Have a Right to Bear Arms or We Don'tAt the end of the day, we either have a right to bear arms or we don't. That's what this debate always boils down to. That's the reason why so many proponents of the 2nd Amendment, like myself, refuse to compromise any further, because when the current proposals on the table fail, gun control advocates will only seek to go further. I know that sounds like a slippery slope fallacy, but it's not. A slippery slope fallacy posits a domino effect of unconnected consequences. What I'm talking about is a simple consideration of cause and effect. Gun control advocates religiously believe that violence and mass killings can be halted by tightening up the laws regulating the purchase and ownership of firearms. They will continue to advocate for increased regulations, no matter how many victories they have, until they've accomplished their goals. And if, as I argue, their proposed laws fail to accomplish their goals, the only inevitable conclusion will be an eventual assault on the very right to bear arms itself. Now, don't get me wrong, the 2nd Amendment not only says “shall not be infringed”, it also says “well-regulated”. I have never been against reasonable laws that do not violate the fundamental right to bear arms. The 2nd Amendment isn't a free-for-all, as some of my more extreme libertarian friends might view it. But what we currently have is far from a free-for-all. Not only are firearms well-regulated currently, there are many instances where they are highly regulated and several instances where the right to bear arms is indeed infringed, especially in coastal states like California and New York and, tragically, in most of America's inner-cities where the vast majority of African Americans live. Well, I better wrap this up now. This is obviously something I'm very passionate about and I could go on and on. As I said, hopefully, I've accomplished something with this deep dive. If you have any thoughts, be sure to leave a comment or reach out to me on Facebook or Twitter. Or, you can email me at JustinStapley@TheLibertyHawk.com. Oh, and be sure to give a rating of the podcast on your favorite podcast app, and please consider subscribing to the Self-Evident on Substack or Youtube. Until next time, stay free my friends. Get full access to Self-Evident at selfevident.substack.com/subscribe

When Iraq and Afghanistan Marine veteran Andrew Biggio purchased an M1 Garand rifle, the same rifle his uncle had used in World War II, it led him on a journey to find the last living World War II veterans and document their stories – and have them sign his rifle. Newt's guest is Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans Told Through an M1 Garand. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

In the first hour, Charles talks to Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand. They talk about the book, the amazing veterans he met, and the rifle on which he collected 200 signatures. They also talk about Andrew's day job, Boston police officer, and how he views the state of policing today. In the second hour, Charles talks to Nesim Vatani, co-host of The Underground Podcast. They discuss capitalism and the question Nesim posed to the Cut The Bull! Panel, Is capitalism conservative? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Southern Sense is conservative talk with Annie "The Radio Chick-A-Dee" Ubelis, and Curtis "CS" Bennett, co-host.  Informative, fun, irreverent and politically incorrect, you never know where we'll go, but you'll love the journey!  Southern-SenseColin Heaton  is a military historian, former soldier and Marine sniper, professor, and specialist in interviewing military veterans. New Release: Above The ReichAndrew Biggio, author of The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand.Beth Heath, founder of We Can Be Heroes FoundationAri Hoffman, associate editor and correspondent for The Post Millennial, small-business owner and former politician who exposed failed policies that affected his community in Seattle.Dr. Joseph ("Joe") Loconte, the Director of the Heritage Foundation's Center for American Studies.  He is author of A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great WarDedication: Reserve Deputy Constable Martinus Mitchum, End of Watch Friday, February 26, 2021

Southern Sense is conservative talk with Annie "The Radio Chick-A-Dee" Ubelis, and Curtis "CS" Bennett, co-host.  Informative, fun, irreverent and politically incorrect, you never know where we'll go, but you'll love the journey!  Southern-Sense Colin Heaton  is a military historian, former soldier and Marine sniper, professor, and specialist in interviewing military veterans. New Release: Above The Reich Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand. Beth Heath, founder of We Can Be Heroes Foundation Ari Hoffman, associate editor and correspondent for The Post Millennial, small-business owner and former politician who exposed failed policies that affected his community in Seattle. Dr. Joseph ("Joe") Loconte, the Director of the Heritage Foundation's Center for American Studies.  He is author of A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War Dedication: Reserve Deputy Constable Martinus Mitchum, End of Watch Friday, February 26, 2021

Andy Biggio - The Rifle - Andrew Biggio is a Marine and Boston Police Officer. His namesake was a great uncle who died during WWII. Andy has always felt a connection to WWII, the veterans and the history of the war. At some point, Andy picked up an M1 Garand rifle. This was the weapon the US military issued.  Get on Amazon at Andy knew a WWII near where he lived...he visited him, and despite being 90+ years old...once that M1 Garand was in his grasp, he became 19 again, and relating experiences, stories and memories that the family had never heard. He signed the weapon and Andy's life changed forever. Andy's recorded over 200 stories and signatures on his rifle...and his book The Rifle is available and you must get it.   ​For the  of this episode head to  Please support the Break It Down Show by doing a monthly subscription to the show  All of the money you invest goes directly to supporting the show! ​Haiku The M1 Garand Plus heroes from World War II Memories erupt   ​Similar episodes:          Join us in supporting Save the Brave as we battle PTSD.  Executive Producer/Host: Pete A Turner  Producer: Damjan Gjorgjiev  The Break It Down Show is your favorite best, new podcast, featuring 5 episodes a week with great interviews highlighting world-class guests from a wide array of shows.

We have a PACKED show tonight! First up we have USMC Veteran Andrew Biggio who wrote the book "The Rifle" which will be available for purchase on June 1. The book tells the stories of WWII veterans though the legendary M1 Garand. We also have Katie Juhasz representing the VA's launch of a suite of mobile health apps which include PTSD Coach, Mindfulness Coach and Covid Coach. Visit www.irreverentwarriors.com  for a list of all upcoming #Silkieshikes! If you liked this episode or want to share you story, shoot us an email kevin@twentyonegun.net  Visit www.twentyonegun.net for everything 21 Gun Follow 21 Gun on Instagram @21gunpodcast

GREAT GUNS & AMMO Episode. Today hear podcast host Bob Svetich and his Co-Host, Veteran of the United States Army Airborne Corps and licensed Law Enforcement Officer “BEAR”  as they discuss  the M1 Garand Rifle. Contact host Bob Svetich:http://theoutdoorgroupinc.com/The Sporting Life Podcast bringing you the BEST in celebrityentertainment and all things hunting and fishing. GREAT GUNS AND AMMO: New episode every MondayBe sure to RATE AND REVIEW The Sporting Life Podcast and tell a friend about us!Listen for The Sporting Life Podcast on these fine platforms or wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rZXXWR8XL3JlJZWzWvPepApple Podcasts:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6rZXXWR8XL3JlJZWzWvPepGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8yMTI2NDYucnNzBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/212646/website/background/editStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-sporting-life-podcastiHeart Podcasts: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-sporting-life-podcast-30214313/Amazon Podcasts: https://www.amazon.com/The-Sporting-Life-Podcast/dp/B08K57ZPJDListen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-sporting-life-podcast-robert-svetich-nTovODCVzb6Tune in tomorrow for a new episode of The Sporting Life Podcast. Thanks for listening and please remember to always be a good steward of our land and water. 

On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast Dave and Sam discuss John Garand, the inventor of the M1 Garand. One of the most iconic American firearms of all time, the M1 Garand was the standard issue weapon for WWII and the Korean War. This is the forgotten history of the man who invented this .30-06 semi-automatic rifle and how it became a symbol of the American military. “In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.” - General George S. Patton Any gun nut – er, “firearms enthusiast” – worth their salt has heard of the M1 Garand (it rhymes with “errand,” by the way). This .30-06 semi-automatic rifle is one of the most iconic American firearms of all time, and was the standard-issue weapon for American infantry troops during World War II and the Korean War. Drill teams and honor guards continue to use this in the present day, such is its role as a symbol of the American military.   Fewer, however, know about the life story of the man behind the weapon – John Garand, a Canadian-American engineer and weapons designer. Born one of a whopping 12 children on a Quebec farm, Garand's father relocated the entire family to Connecticut following the untimely death of the clan's mother in 1899. All six boys in the family had the official first name St. Jean le Baptiste, however, John Garand was the only one of them who used “Jean” as his first name. The other five used their middle names.   The invention bug ran in the family, with several of his brothers sharing his penchant for innovation. Garand learned how to speak English while working in a textile mill sweeping floors. He later worked in a shooting gallery where he developed an interest in firearms, which, when combined with his naturally innovative nature and machining skills picked up in the textile mill, got him a job at a Providence, RI, tool-making company in 1909. In 1916, he relocated to New York City, where he continued working as a toolmaker, and practiced his rifle skills at shooting galleries on Broadway.   You can read the full article “John Garand: The Forgotten History of the Man Who Invented the Iconic M1 Garand Rifle” at Ammo.com.   For $20 off your $200 purchase, go to https://ammo.com/podcast (a special deal for our listeners).   Follow Sam Jacobs on Parler: https://parler.com/profile/SamJacobs1776/posts   And check out our sponsor, Libertas Bella, for all of your favorite 2nd Amendment shirts at LibertasBella.com.   Helpful Links:  John Garand: The Forgotten History of the Man Who Invented the Iconic M1 Garand Rifle Commercial Ammo: The Untold History of Springfield Armory and America's Munitions Factories History of .30-06 Ammo Resistance Library  Sam Jacobs

Andrew is doing something really incredible for the historic preservation of first hand accounts of World War 2 veterans. In his book, The Rifle, Andrew details these accounts while traveling around the country with an M1 Garand. He has collected over 200 WW2 veteran signatures on this rifle. Andrew is also a non-profit founder, a cop, and a former Marine who served 2 combat tours in the Middle East. Episode Notes This episode is brought to you by Head River Farms, your go-to shop for hand crafted, organic CBD and hemp products. I use Head River's CBD oil almost every day for its anti-inflammatory effects and to not only fall asleep, but stay asleep so I can wake up charged and ready to get after it the next day. Head River's commitment to sustainable farming practices really make a noticeable difference in the quality of their product. My favorite products include the Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (CBD Oil) and the unscented Feel Good Balm. Visit https://headriverfarms.com/collections/all and use promo code TRP20 for 20% off your purchase at Head River Farms.   To stay up to date on podcast releases and more, please follow the social media accounts below Instagram: @turnerrowlandpodcast @turnerrowland1 Facebook: Turner Rowland Podcast   Questions, suggestions, and guest inquiries for Turner can be sent to turnerrowlandpodcast@gmail.com   Thank you for listening, I hope you enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kris buys an M1 Garand and puts his foot directly in his mouth. Joe Biden calls active duty American military members "slow" and "dumb", and although he will never remember it because he's super old, it's on tape and it's embarrassing. Kamala Harris says Tupac is the greatest rapper alive today. Gun blogs everywhere get a bog story big time wrong. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Kris buys an M1 Garand and puts his foot directly in his mouth. Joe Biden calls active duty American military members "slow" and "dumb", and although he will never remember it because he's super old, it's on tape and it's embarrassing. Kamala Harris says Tupac is the greatest rapper alive today. Gun blogs everywhere get a bog story big time wrong. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Kris buys a M1 Garand and puts his foot directly in his mouth.  Joe Biden calls active duty American military members "slow" and "dumb", and although he will never remember it because he's super old, it's on tape and it's embarrassing.  Kamala Harris says Tupac is the greatest rapper alive today. Gun blogs everywhere get a bog story big time wrong.   

Today we discuss the M1 Garand. Quite possibly one of the most iconic firearms adopted by there United States. Not only are these firearms cool as hell but they are comply with all NY State laws regarding firearms.    We will also discuss the Civilian Marksmanship Program (aka The CMP) and how to get your hands on one of these beautiful American guns for a super affordable price point.   Corrections: Production of the Gas Trap Garand stopped at serial number 50,000 not 80,000 as mentioned in this episode.   LINKS: The Civilian Marksmanship Program Instagram: NYGunGuys Facebook: NYGunGuys Email: Info@NYGunGuys.com  

13-14SEPT1943: Volunteering to scout ahead to determine location of enemy and friendly units, CPT Charles Kelly moved ahead under enemy artillery and sniper fire. Making it the full mile to the hill in question, Kelly then returned under the same barrage of fire to report his findings. He then volunteered to lead a group of three Soldiers to attack a machine gun position that was holding up US forces. Moving ahead with his small team, Kelly assaulted one position after another, methodically destroying countless German positions. When the attack died down, his fellow Soldiers estimated Kelly had killed 40 enemy fighters himself. Now running low on ammunition, Kelly returned to an ammo supply point but found that location under intense enemy attack. As the attack died down for the night, Kelly assumed a guard position in the second story of the building and awaited the morning. Just as the sun began to rise, the Germans attacked with a focus on the supply point Kelly was defending. Utilizing everything at his disposal, Kelly fired two Browning Automatic Rifles until the barrels turned red hot and jammed. He then alternated between a Thompson sub-machine gun, an M1 Garand and even a M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle. As enemy element neared his position, he began throwing phosphorus and incendiary grenades, forcing the enemy to abandon nearby houses as they burned. At one point, Kelly even armed a series of 60mm mortars and began throwing them like grenades where they would detonate on impact among the charging Germans. Before the attack was over, Kelly would fire multiple rounds from a bazooka and even utilize a 37mm towed anti-tank gun to knock out a German sniper position. Estimates are that he may have killed upwards of 200 enemy fighters by himself that morning. For his action in holding the position against all odds, CPL Charles Kelly would earn the nickname of Commando Kelly and be awarded the Medal of Honor.

In this episode of The Silvercore Podcast, Travis Bader sits down with Shane Mathieson of Reliable Gun in Vancouver BC. Listen in as they discuss how Reliable Gun got it's start, the recent OIC firearms ban and how it's affecting business as well as how COVID has impacted gun sales and more!  If you have a story that would be of value to the Silvercore audience, or know someone who does, email us at podcast@silvercore.ca.  We would love to hear from you! Topics discussed in this episode: Introduction [00:00:00 - 00:01:25] Reliable Gun's start [00:01:26 - 00:06:23] Pheasant Hunting [00:06:24 - 00:09:20] Reliable Gun & Tackle [00:09:21 - 00:11:54] COVID affects on business [00:11:55 - 00:14:02] OIC firearms ban [00:14:03 - 00:20:49] Picking apart the firearms ban legislation [00:20:49 - 00:23:31] Firearms ban affects & banding together [00:23:32 - 00:28:56] Ban of 12 gauge shotguns & politics [00:28:57 - 00:31:09] Shooters are normal people [00:31:09 - 00:34:04] Online consumerism vs. in person purchases [00:34:05 - 00:36:16] Prohibited rifle [00:36:17 - 00:37:35] Insights on the firearm ban & the stigma around firearms owners [00:37:35 - 00:46:58] Statistics & Firearms in the media [00:46:59 - 00:49:36] Interpretations, buyback & grandfathering of firearms banned [00:49:37 - 00:50:43] Hunting as an essential service [00:50:45 - 00:52:06] Raising awareness [00:52:06 - 00:54:27] Reliable Sales [00:54:27 - 00:55:35]  Outro [00:55:36 - 00:56:03]   Explore these Resources In this episode, we mentioned the following resources which may be beneficial to you:   Silvercore [00:00:00 - 00:01:06] Reliable Gun [00:01:09] [00:01:31] [00:01:47] [00:02:31] [00:03:28] [00:05:51] [00:05:56]  [00:06:32] [00:09:25] [00:17:35] [00:22:57] [00:23:32][00:54:28] [00:55:38] Poldi Bentley [00:02:03] [00:02:11] [00:02:20] [00:02:29] Taka Kuwata, team White Rice [00:05:43] Boy Scouts of Canada [00:06:07] ALS Society of BC [00:06:12] Big Bar Guest Ranch [00:06:45] Lee Enfield [00:09:37] M1 Garand [00:09:38] Section 117.15, criminal code [00:20:55]  Walther OSP [00:21:39] Walther GSP [00:21:39] International shooting union (now ISSF) [00:22:01] [00:22:04][00:22:13] [00:22:40] 3gun [00:22:09] DCRA, Dominion of Canada Rifle Association [00:22:22]  CSSA [00:24:53] [00:25:07] [00:37:35] NFA [00:24:54] [00:25:05] CCFR [00:24:55] [00:25:04] [00:37:48] Marty Hayes [00:27:09] Firearms Academy of Seattle [00:27:10] Meat Eater, Steve Rinella [00:31:47] Accuracy International [00:36:19] [00:36:38] Follow us: Podcast YouTube Newsletter Instagram Facebook Follow our Host Instagram: @ Bader.Trav   Learn More about Silvercore Silvercore Club Online Training  Other Training & Services  Merchandise CORE Training Management Resources (TMR)  Blog Page Join the Conversation We love and encourage audience participation and feedback.   Be sure to join in the conversation by commenting, liking and subscribing.  If you know others who would enjoy our content, we sure would appreciate it if you considered sharing it with them.  This is the best way for our community will grow and improve.   

California's new lead ammo ban is the newest legislation that will make training more difficult for law-abiding gun owners.  What do you think - is the health danger from lead worse than the fecal issues in downtown cities? Every year, manufacturers release new pistols that are safer, more reliable, more accurate, and easier to use and maintain. By requiring pistols to incorporate technology that doesn't exist, the California Gun Roster increasingly limits the handguns available to California residents. If you have access to only 1 book, do you still have your First Amendment right? Trouble racking the slide on your pistol? Some people suffer from arthritis, weak hand strength, injuries, and other things that make racking the slide on your pistol difficult.  David Chong from AO Sword has a solution for you! Learn more about tap racks with David. Also, Permitium is launching this week to help process CCW's at the San Diego Sheriff's office! Thank you Sheriff Gore for adopting better tools to help people get their CCW's faster! STUMP MY NEPHEW! Which company outfitted the M1 Garand with a detachable magazine?  Bonus question: Is there a viable alternative to lead for bullets? -- The right to self-defense is a basic human right. Gun ownership is an integral part of that right. If you want to keep your rights defend them by joining San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO),  Orange County Gun Owners (OCGO) in Orange County, San Bernardino County Gun Owners (SBCGO) in San Bernardino County or Riverside County Gun Owners (RCGO) in Riverside. Support the cause by listening to Gun Sports Radio live on Sunday afternoon or on the internet at your leisure Join the fight and help us restore and preserve our second amendment rights. Together we will win. https://www.gunsportsradio.com https://www.sandiegocountygunowners.com https://orangecountygunowners.com/  https://sanbernardinocountygunowners.org/ https://riversidecountygunowners.com/  https://www.firearmspolicy.org/ https://www.gunownersca.com/ https://gunowners.org -- Show your support for Gun Sports Radio sponsors! https://FirearmsLegal.com  https://www.ccwusa.com  https://www.firearmslegal.com  http://www.kalikey.com https://www.primeres.com/alpine  https://www.aosword.com  https://www.cafirearmslaw.com  https://www.thegunrangesandiego.com  https://www.uslawshield.com 

Welcome to the NH 2A Podcast where we discuss anything related to the Second Amendment including firearms, gear, and current events. Hosted by Jared and Jacob in the free state of New Hampshire. In this episode, we dive into our favorite military surplus rifles. Highlights include the Model of 1917 "Eddystone" Rifle and the M1 Garand. Be proficient. Be politically active. Be polite. *** Any information contained in this podcast should not be considered to be legal advice *** Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/nh2apodcast)

Olá Gueimers Inglórios! Carregue o seu M1 Garand, bote combustível no seu lança chamas, afie bem a sua faca e vem com a gente, porque hoje nós vamos fazer uma coisa, e somente uma coisa: Matar Nazistas! Grupo no WhatsApp: https://tinyurl.com/bardavida Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarraDeVida Feito por: Everton Agner, Tarik Reis, Gilberto Lecci e Laureano

В этом выпуске мы рассказываем о современных автоматах - АК и AR-15, газовом двигателе и дульном тормозе-компенсаторе, патронах 7.62 и 5.45, Sturmgewehr-44 и M1 Garand.

We are talking about the old school military rifles this time round.

Nick, a frequent listener of the Vortex Nation podcast, reached out to us after our first WW2(ish) podcast revolving around a few historic firearms and not only explained how the M1 Garand’s grenade launcher system actually worked, but also explained that he and his dad are avid (Understatement) WW2 era firearms collectors and reenactors. Jimmy, Mark and Ryan Muckenhirn were lucky enough to sit down with these two as they went through 14 different firearms (And a WW2 era grenade launcher) from the allied, axis and neutral countries during the war. These incredible pieces of history literally shaped the landscape of the war and history as we know it, so to have pieces like this in our presence and be able to talk about them with some knowledgeable folks was a gift we won’t soon forget. Nick and Ray own, regularly shoot, reload for and maintain these rifles, so it was also great to see some historical tools still being used to this day many decades later. We also discussed some of the ways these firearms plowed the way for more modern (Or sometimes just direct rip off!) rifle designs we know and use today. Check it out and like Nick, if you have something super interesting you’d like to talk about with us, feel free to bring it up in the comments on one of our social media platforms and maybe we’ll have you on the podcast some day as well! As always - let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

This week on the Bear Arms Podcast Jace talks about how SilencerCo put a suppressor on their M1 Garand. Tom explains how Hawaiin shirts help you shoot your pistol better and they also discuss some useful information as well! We think...

This week on the Bear Arms Podcast Jace talks about how SilencerCo put a suppressor on their M1 Garand. Tom explains how Hawaiin shirts help you shoot your pistol better and they also discuss some useful information as well! We think...

One of the most definitive moments in history, World War II, was the deadliest modern war. Fatality counts range from 50 million to over 80 million people; almost 2 billion soldiers were deployed to fight in the battle worldwide — 16 million from America. Guns played a vital role in every aspect of this global battle. In this episode, we discuss iconic firearms like the M1 Garand and the Colt 1911, which were common in the war. We also delve into the British Sten and even Hitler's personal Walther PPK.

One of the most definitive moments in history, World War II, was the deadliest modern war. Fatality counts range from 50 million to over 80 million people; almost 2 billion soldiers were deployed to fight in the battle worldwide — 16 million from America. Guns played a vital role in every aspect of this global battle. In this episode, we discuss iconic firearms like the M1 Garand and the Colt 1911, which were common in the war. We also delve into the British Sten and even Hitler's personal Walther PPK.

War is hell. But on the big screen, it's sure as hell fun to watch. On this week's episode of KnockBack, Dagan and I take a long, hard look at our favorite war movies -- from the obvious to the obscure -- and discuss why movies that show such heinous acts of violence can also uplift us all with equally amazing acts of heroism and valor. So suit up, grab your M1 Garand, and get listening!       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to The Emancipation Podcast Station - the place to hear about history researched and retold through the eyes of Middle school and HS students. Last time on the show…   Today we discuss the causes of the Civil War. Let’s dive in.   Introduction to the Gilded Age Why was it called the Gilded Age? And Who coined the term.   Hunter- The gilded age in American was the late 19th century, from 1870 to about 1900. The name of this point in time was used in the early 20th century, and was derived from writer Mark Twain’s 1873 novel the Gilded Age: A Tale Of Today, which started an era of social problems covered by a thin gold gilding. Skylar - The Gilded Age began in 1865 and Ended in 1898. The gilded age was a time where everyone was focused on the development of the United states, mainly industrial type things. The Gilded age didn’t mean the golden age but more of a cover, like everything is perfect but really it’s not. Ricky-Ricky-The Gilded Age was an age in the 1870s to the early 1900s it was a time of economic growth for American citizens and non-immigrants. In wages Rose from $380 from 1880 to $564 in 1890, a gain of 48%. The widespread industrialization led to a real wage growth of 60% in between 1860 and 1890. - Blake (gabe)- The Gilded age was a time period in which hard times fell on the american and immigrant people.   Gabe - The Gilded age was a time where americans economy went good and bad in a way because industry grew but money not so much.     - Ethan - The Gilded Age was the time that America began to revolutionize their industrial world. Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” which meant the time seemed pretty good but was truly miserable. Someone who profited from the Gilded Age was John D. Rockefeller, who was the founder of oil. Oil was just 1 of the “titans of industry” which were steel, banking, and oil. The miserable part would probably be that they got their money mostly through corruption. Ben- And with every urban explosion there were poor people, in apartments without heating or even light, it was 5 cents a night, which doesn’t sound like much, but they were poor and money was different then it is now. They had to fit as many people as possible to get the most out of the room too.   The Gilded Age and the Second Industrial Revolution Name one invention that came out of the Second Industrial Revolution. Hunter- The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a time of quick industrialization in the last third of the 19th century, and the beginning of the 20th. Some of the inventions are of the following the swiss army knife, barbed wire, dynamite, and the motorcycle. Oh and some of my personal favorites are the Maxim Machine Gun, and the colt .45 M-1911. Skylar - The Second Industrial Revolution went on in the same time as the Gilded Age. This was time for mass production of things, as well as communicating about business tractions, materials, all that weren’t existing before. The Bessemer Process was a big deal in this time, it made steel easy and quicker to produce, so trains became more of a option for transporting things before. During this time the US had more railroads than all of Europe combined. Ricky- As everyone said the Second Industrial Revolution was basically a time when a bunch of new inventions were made that revolutionized the industrial system like as Skylar said it made steel a lot easier to produce creating easier ways to create a railroad system. A lot of inventions like petroleum gas, electrification was a big thing, Machine Tools like drills and saws, chemical tools like ammonia, and chlorine, rubber, bicycles, the invention of automobiles, some fertilizers, telephones, and a lot of scientific knowledge, as well as the making of new weapons as Hunter said like the Colt 45 M119 pistol, the Thompson submachine gun which shoots 45. ACP rounds which is famously said to be used by high-ranking gangsters, the M1 Garand which is a 30 caliber round.                                                                        4. Gabe - as Hunter and Ricky said we Developed a lot of technology in the gilded ages second industrial revolution. But railroads helped increase income and production because we used them for transportation shipping goods all across america.   - Blake(ben) - As everyone has said previously this was a big time for the early United States which revolutionized building and processing for wealthy businessman looking to get a start in the material industry. - Ethan - The Second Industrial Revolution took place in 1870-1914. Some say it went up to the start of World War 1. This Revolution was also known as the Technological Revolution. During this revolution things like the telephone and electricity were made. This revolution wasn’t just in America, but in Britain and Germany. Lesser known countries were France, Italy, and Japan. - Ben - After the first industrial revolution they had all these new things so they refined it and made it better.   Social Darwinism in the Gilded Age What is Social Darwinism and do you think there is any truth in it? Skylar - Social Darwinism is just basically seeing what people are on the outside. Social Darwinism says that the poor have less worth that a higher class rich person. It’s judging people for what’s on the outside and your social class rather than judging someone for what’s on the inside like being kind. Acting like a snob means you have more worth to someone who believes in Social Darwinism, when in reality they are worth less for judging people just by how much money they have, or how they look. Ricky-- Social Darwinism is the idea and belief that it is survival of the fittest. It stole the term from Darwinism evolution and plastered itself all over politics as social Darwinism. Gabe - Social Darwinism started in the gilded age because people started applying his idea that the strong rule the weak to people in there life and so on. - Blake(hunter) - Do I seriously have to do this one? Oh boy. Social Darwinism was a terrible thing it basically said that white people are better than others and that humans evolved from apes. - Ethan - Social Darwinism, in more proper terms, was seeing natural selection in the people around us. Anyone that considered themselves a Social Darwinist did not go by any such term. The term Darwinism wasn’t really used much except by people that were opposed to it. Ben- It got the term Darwinism because Charles Darwin studied evolution, so since people believed in survival of the fittest, like the theory of evolution, the called it darwinism. America moves to the city Why did most of America start moving to cities and leaving farms? Skylar - In 1790 nearly everyone lived in the country or on a farm. Due to The Second Industrial Revolution, growing population, and new machinery the United States needed more room to expand into the countryside to make big cities for railroads and new jobs. By 1920 only 28% of people lived in rural areas and the majority lived in the larger cities. Ricky- -a majority of people lived in rural areas than in urban areas, but then suddenly 11 million people migrated from rural areas to urban areas along with 25 million immigrants pouring in to the country.   Gabe - Another thing that happened which was people started urbanizing living in urban places it started in the 1800s and it made its ascent from there until 1920s where more people lived in urban areas then actual rural areas. And here is a quote from thomas jefferson who said “once we start piling upon one another in large cities  as in europe   We will become as corrupt as europe”.   - Blake(hunters) - America began to enter industrialization and because of this more people moved to bigger cities to find work and be prosperous. - Ethan - In 1920 more Americans lived in cities than on farms. This was kind of the transition between farm life and the urban living of today. In 1890 28% of the population lived in urban environment. - Ben - It started all the mass population you see in the popular urban cities around the world today. People were obsessed with industrial industry and thought it would be more profitable to move to cities. The Knights of Labor   What were the Knights of Labor and what do you think about them? Good or bad? 1.Hunter- The K of L, officially Noble the Holy order of the Knights of Labor, Was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations 1880. It’s most important leaders were Terence V. Powderly and step-brother Joseph bath. The Knights promoted the working man, rejected socialism and anarchism, demanded the eight-hour day, and promoted the producersethic of republicanism. The Knights of Labor was a union founded in 1869. They promoted 8 hour work days and wanted to end child labor. It was mostly white men in this union, but immigrants, african americans, as well as women were welcome to be members. By 1886 the Knights of Labor had over 700,000 members and supporters. Ricky-- The Knights of Labor had officially crashed and disbanded near 1886 following the Haymarket Square riot. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was growing at the time which then eventually took over. Gabe - So the knights of labor were a group who promoted like skylar said 8 hour work days and were in a union which aloud individual industrial workers to go on strike if they were not paid well or treated correctly. Another thing is that the person who started protesting 8 hour work day was also the one of the founders of socialism Ben- The skilled and simple workers of the country together to promote a safe and healthy work schedule and environment, there were people like this in the past but not as influential as the knights. - Ethan - They basically told the working class they had to work 8 hours a day and they rejected any possible anarchy or socialism. They were founded by Uriah Stephens and by 1884 had 100000 members. - Blake - Unions were a group of workers organizing to gain better wages, less hours and more employee benefits. The Populists What was the Populists agenda? Did they succeed? Skylar - The people who were called populists were an agrarian-based movement trying to better the conditions for the farmers and agrarian workers of the United States. In 1876 the farmers alliance was made to help end the crop-lien system that put many farmers into poverty, this movement began in Texas. The crop-lien system operated in the south were cotton was grown. Any sharecroppers, tenant farmers, black, and white people who didn’t own the land that they worked, would have to take out loans to be able to purchase supplies had to pay back their loans with cotton. Ricky- in 1892 a homestead strike broke out in the carnegie steel company steel works. Which caused a gun fight between unionized workers and a group of hired men to break the strike. The workers lost. Gabe - the populists were a Group of people who wanted to help farmers and help  those people that were not and industrial worker someone who farmer worked off his land but didn't make much because of the industrial work Ben- After the end of slavery the farmers had a hard time making as making as much money as before, they now had to actually hire workers and even if they hired that costed a lot of money and they still wouldn’t have as many people as before. - Ethan - A.K.A the People’s Party or Populist Party. Their goal was to improve life for farmer-like workers and they were disbanded very quickly. - Blake - (Hunter’s) Money was a troubling problem for the farming south so farmers supported a new party called the Populists Party who supported the farming economy. 7.Hunter- the Populists were an agrarian-based  political movement. The South after the Civil War What happened to the farming economy, why? Skylar - The period of Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877. During this time 3 newly adopted amendments were passed, the Thirteenth Amendment to end slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment that promised the African Americans the right to have citizenship in The United States Of America, and the Fifteenth Amendment that guaranteed black men the right to vote. Ricky- Everything was topsy turny for the south, because their “country” was destroyed and their social system was wrecked and they had extreme hate from the north.   Gabe - The South crashed economically because they were built on selling tobacco and cotton  and since the prices dropped the south was economically destroyed.   Ben- Just because slavery ended doesn’t mean racism did, some is still here today, and people are doing things about it. But the end of slavery was pretty cool. Allowing people of color to now vote and be American citizens. Some of the industry based on slavery like farming and other labor tasks sort of crashed since they now had to hire workers and pay them. - Ethan - As we have said the discrimination did not end but the South did not truly let things go. The economy changed drastically since slaves were gone. - Blake - Well we still had some problems even after the war as even though we passed laws to stop discrimination against African Americans the south was able to pass laws that would stop them from doing things such as voting we’ll talk about these laws later. Life after slavery for African Americans What happened to racism, did it get better or worse? Why do you think that Skylar - When the civil war was over life got a lot better for the people living in the United States. African Americans became free in 1865 and was put into the Amendments as the 13th amendment. Which made a huge difference in everyone’s lives, especially the cotton plantation owners in the south because they would no longer have free labor. Ricky- life for African Americans, as Skylar said, “got a lot better”. After the emancipation proclamation/13th amendment African Americans worked on railroads, owned shops, and even got to vote (black men).   African americans became as the same as any white person there was no “an african american person couldn't do this because blank” anymore. There was a african american named george washington carver who made 300 different products from peanuts. Another named Booker T Washington started a University.   Ben - There were still some restrictions on what they could do though, they still couldn’t testify against white people, serve in a jury, or serve in some state militias. - Ethan - All their bad treatment didn’t completely disappear because the idea of slavery was still fresh in people’s minds so while they weren’t whipped as slaves anymore, they still were discriminated. - Blake - Just like I said before this wasn’t a good time for African Americans even though we had passed anti-discrimination laws southern states were still able to get around these laws. The Compromise of 1877 Why did the compromise have to happen? What was the final factor that gave Hayes his victory. What was the main deal in the Compromise? Skylar - The Compromise of 1877 was put into place to resolve a Presidential election that took place a year before. There was a dispute between the democrat Samuel Tilden and republican Rutherford Hayes. This dispute was obviously over who was going to become the next President of the US. Samuel J. Tilden won with 247,448 votes, but votes in 3 states were being disputed. These states were in the South and were, Florida, Louisiana, as well as South Carolina. This lasted 4 months then this compromise was put into place. Ricky-ricky-The compromise was put in place because of a dispute because Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote, but Rutherford B Hayes won the electoral vote. So the Democrats agreed that he would be president in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South also granting of home rule in the south.   Basically the exchange in this compromise was that Rutherford B Hayes would become President and the south would get home rule and federal troops with withdraw from the south   - Ethan - The compromise was seemingly a president in exchange troop withdrawal.   Ben- With most debates the best option is a compromise, it will make both sides an equal amount of happy or sad. And with the destruction of the souths economy everyone was reconstructing their businesses.   - Blake - The compromise of 1877 was basically meant as a tiebreaker for the previous presidential election which had also affected African Americans Jim Crow The origins of Jim Crow - introduction Origins of Jim Crow - the Black Codes and Reconstruction Origins of Jim Crow - the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments Origins of Jim Crow - Compromise of 1877 and Plessy v. Ferguson What are the Jim Crow Laws and what did they encompass, why did people think there was a need to put those laws into place? Skylar - Jim Crow laws were racist laws. Saying for example, this bathroom is for blacks and this is a special one for whites. Jim Crow laws were really popular in the South from the 1870 through the 1960. Nearly 100 years. Most schools, restaurants, bathrooms, buses, stores, ect. Were using these laws to keep African Americans out of their places of business. If a black man had a business that was making good money some nieve white men would burn their homes/shops down because they were jealous. If a white and black person were together they’d hang the black person in the middle of town which is so crazy. Ricky- a Jim Crow was a stock character, used for getting a point across to the General Public, a Jim Crow was used in Minstrel shows as a means of communication to people who did not know how to read. And now it's where we go into extremely racist territory, hm Crow was a white person who put whatever black stuff all over their face to look like a black person and to act like a black person for the plays that they had of the book Uncle Tom's Cabin - Ethan - These laws enforced racial segregation. Like saying that they were equal but separated. Jim Crow was also a character used in some plays which was an ethnic depiction of the white man's idea of a black person. Ben- Ending slavery didn’t end racism that’s for sure, I’d say only 80% of the laws making slaves free were really only 80% freedom. It just shows how people have socially adapted and even though there are still bad things happening today, it’s a lot better than before. - Blake - So y’all basically covered everything and give me crap for writing about something already used so i’ll just be going over the basics. Jim Crowe was a derogatory term used to describe African Americans it was also used as a name for a set of laws set by white people to legally segregate. That’s all we have time for today. Thanks for joining us in this emancipation from the box, that is learning.

Welcome back to The Emancipation Podcast Station - the place to hear about history researched and retold through the eyes of Middle school and HS students. Last time on the show…   Today we discuss the causes of the Civil War. Let’s dive in.   Introduction to the Gilded Age Why was it called the Gilded Age? And Who coined the term.   Hunter- The gilded age in American was the late 19th century, from 1870 to about 1900. The name of this point in time was used in the early 20th century, and was derived from writer Mark Twain’s 1873 novel the Gilded Age: A Tale Of Today, which started an era of social problems covered by a thin gold gilding. Skylar - The Gilded Age began in 1865 and Ended in 1898. The gilded age was a time where everyone was focused on the development of the United states, mainly industrial type things. The Gilded age didn’t mean the golden age but more of a cover, like everything is perfect but really it’s not. Ricky-Ricky-The Gilded Age was an age in the 1870s to the early 1900s it was a time of economic growth for American citizens and non-immigrants. In wages Rose from $380 from 1880 to $564 in 1890, a gain of 48%. The widespread industrialization led to a real wage growth of 60% in between 1860 and 1890. - Blake (gabe)- The Gilded age was a time period in which hard times fell on the american and immigrant people.   Gabe - The Gilded age was a time where americans economy went good and bad in a way because industry grew but money not so much.     - Ethan - The Gilded Age was the time that America began to revolutionize their industrial world. Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” which meant the time seemed pretty good but was truly miserable. Someone who profited from the Gilded Age was John D. Rockefeller, who was the founder of oil. Oil was just 1 of the “titans of industry” which were steel, banking, and oil. The miserable part would probably be that they got their money mostly through corruption. Ben- And with every urban explosion there were poor people, in apartments without heating or even light, it was 5 cents a night, which doesn’t sound like much, but they were poor and money was different then it is now. They had to fit as many people as possible to get the most out of the room too.   The Gilded Age and the Second Industrial Revolution Name one invention that came out of the Second Industrial Revolution. Hunter- The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a time of quick industrialization in the last third of the 19th century, and the beginning of the 20th. Some of the inventions are of the following the swiss army knife, barbed wire, dynamite, and the motorcycle. Oh and some of my personal favorites are the Maxim Machine Gun, and the colt .45 M-1911. Skylar - The Second Industrial Revolution went on in the same time as the Gilded Age. This was time for mass production of things, as well as communicating about business tractions, materials, all that weren’t existing before. The Bessemer Process was a big deal in this time, it made steel easy and quicker to produce, so trains became more of a option for transporting things before. During this time the US had more railroads than all of Europe combined. Ricky- As everyone said the Second Industrial Revolution was basically a time when a bunch of new inventions were made that revolutionized the industrial system like as Skylar said it made steel a lot easier to produce creating easier ways to create a railroad system. A lot of inventions like petroleum gas, electrification was a big thing, Machine Tools like drills and saws, chemical tools like ammonia, and chlorine, rubber, bicycles, the invention of automobiles, some fertilizers, telephones, and a lot of scientific knowledge, as well as the making of new weapons as Hunter said like the Colt 45 M119 pistol, the Thompson submachine gun which shoots 45. ACP rounds which is famously said to be used by high-ranking gangsters, the M1 Garand which is a 30 caliber round.                                                                        4. Gabe - as Hunter and Ricky said we Developed a lot of technology in the gilded ages second industrial revolution. But railroads helped increase income and production because we used them for transportation shipping goods all across america.   - Blake(ben) - As everyone has said previously this was a big time for the early United States which revolutionized building and processing for wealthy businessman looking to get a start in the material industry. - Ethan - The Second Industrial Revolution took place in 1870-1914. Some say it went up to the start of World War 1. This Revolution was also known as the Technological Revolution. During this revolution things like the telephone and electricity were made. This revolution wasn’t just in America, but in Britain and Germany. Lesser known countries were France, Italy, and Japan. - Ben - After the first industrial revolution they had all these new things so they refined it and made it better.   Social Darwinism in the Gilded Age What is Social Darwinism and do you think there is any truth in it? Skylar - Social Darwinism is just basically seeing what people are on the outside. Social Darwinism says that the poor have less worth that a higher class rich person. It’s judging people for what’s on the outside and your social class rather than judging someone for what’s on the inside like being kind. Acting like a snob means you have more worth to someone who believes in Social Darwinism, when in reality they are worth less for judging people just by how much money they have, or how they look. Ricky-- Social Darwinism is the idea and belief that it is survival of the fittest. It stole the term from Darwinism evolution and plastered itself all over politics as social Darwinism. Gabe - Social Darwinism started in the gilded age because people started applying his idea that the strong rule the weak to people in there life and so on. - Blake(hunter) - Do I seriously have to do this one? Oh boy. Social Darwinism was a terrible thing it basically said that white people are better than others and that humans evolved from apes. - Ethan - Social Darwinism, in more proper terms, was seeing natural selection in the people around us. Anyone that considered themselves a Social Darwinist did not go by any such term. The term Darwinism wasn’t really used much except by people that were opposed to it. Ben- It got the term Darwinism because Charles Darwin studied evolution, so since people believed in survival of the fittest, like the theory of evolution, the called it darwinism. America moves to the city Why did most of America start moving to cities and leaving farms? Skylar - In 1790 nearly everyone lived in the country or on a farm. Due to The Second Industrial Revolution, growing population, and new machinery the United States needed more room to expand into the countryside to make big cities for railroads and new jobs. By 1920 only 28% of people lived in rural areas and the majority lived in the larger cities. Ricky- -a majority of people lived in rural areas than in urban areas, but then suddenly 11 million people migrated from rural areas to urban areas along with 25 million immigrants pouring in to the country.   Gabe - Another thing that happened which was people started urbanizing living in urban places it started in the 1800s and it made its ascent from there until 1920s where more people lived in urban areas then actual rural areas. And here is a quote from thomas jefferson who said “once we start piling upon one another in large cities  as in europe   We will become as corrupt as europe”.   - Blake(hunters) - America began to enter industrialization and because of this more people moved to bigger cities to find work and be prosperous. - Ethan - In 1920 more Americans lived in cities than on farms. This was kind of the transition between farm life and the urban living of today. In 1890 28% of the population lived in urban environment. - Ben - It started all the mass population you see in the popular urban cities around the world today. People were obsessed with industrial industry and thought it would be more profitable to move to cities. The Knights of Labor   What were the Knights of Labor and what do you think about them? Good or bad? 1.Hunter- The K of L, officially Noble the Holy order of the Knights of Labor, Was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations 1880. It’s most important leaders were Terence V. Powderly and step-brother Joseph bath. The Knights promoted the working man, rejected socialism and anarchism, demanded the eight-hour day, and promoted the producersethic of republicanism. The Knights of Labor was a union founded in 1869. They promoted 8 hour work days and wanted to end child labor. It was mostly white men in this union, but immigrants, african americans, as well as women were welcome to be members. By 1886 the Knights of Labor had over 700,000 members and supporters. Ricky-- The Knights of Labor had officially crashed and disbanded near 1886 following the Haymarket Square riot. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was growing at the time which then eventually took over. Gabe - So the knights of labor were a group who promoted like skylar said 8 hour work days and were in a union which aloud individual industrial workers to go on strike if they were not paid well or treated correctly. Another thing is that the person who started protesting 8 hour work day was also the one of the founders of socialism Ben- The skilled and simple workers of the country together to promote a safe and healthy work schedule and environment, there were people like this in the past but not as influential as the knights. - Ethan - They basically told the working class they had to work 8 hours a day and they rejected any possible anarchy or socialism. They were founded by Uriah Stephens and by 1884 had 100000 members. - Blake - Unions were a group of workers organizing to gain better wages, less hours and more employee benefits. The Populists What was the Populists agenda? Did they succeed? Skylar - The people who were called populists were an agrarian-based movement trying to better the conditions for the farmers and agrarian workers of the United States. In 1876 the farmers alliance was made to help end the crop-lien system that put many farmers into poverty, this movement began in Texas. The crop-lien system operated in the south were cotton was grown. Any sharecroppers, tenant farmers, black, and white people who didn’t own the land that they worked, would have to take out loans to be able to purchase supplies had to pay back their loans with cotton. Ricky- in 1892 a homestead strike broke out in the carnegie steel company steel works. Which caused a gun fight between unionized workers and a group of hired men to break the strike. The workers lost. Gabe - the populists were a Group of people who wanted to help farmers and help  those people that were not and industrial worker someone who farmer worked off his land but didn't make much because of the industrial work Ben- After the end of slavery the farmers had a hard time making as making as much money as before, they now had to actually hire workers and even if they hired that costed a lot of money and they still wouldn’t have as many people as before. - Ethan - A.K.A the People’s Party or Populist Party. Their goal was to improve life for farmer-like workers and they were disbanded very quickly. - Blake - (Hunter’s) Money was a troubling problem for the farming south so farmers supported a new party called the Populists Party who supported the farming economy. 7.Hunter- the Populists were an agrarian-based  political movement. The South after the Civil War What happened to the farming economy, why? Skylar - The period of Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877. During this time 3 newly adopted amendments were passed, the Thirteenth Amendment to end slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment that promised the African Americans the right to have citizenship in The United States Of America, and the Fifteenth Amendment that guaranteed black men the right to vote. Ricky- Everything was topsy turny for the south, because their “country” was destroyed and their social system was wrecked and they had extreme hate from the north.   Gabe - The South crashed economically because they were built on selling tobacco and cotton  and since the prices dropped the south was economically destroyed.   Ben- Just because slavery ended doesn’t mean racism did, some is still here today, and people are doing things about it. But the end of slavery was pretty cool. Allowing people of color to now vote and be American citizens. Some of the industry based on slavery like farming and other labor tasks sort of crashed since they now had to hire workers and pay them. - Ethan - As we have said the discrimination did not end but the South did not truly let things go. The economy changed drastically since slaves were gone. - Blake - Well we still had some problems even after the war as even though we passed laws to stop discrimination against African Americans the south was able to pass laws that would stop them from doing things such as voting we’ll talk about these laws later. Life after slavery for African Americans What happened to racism, did it get better or worse? Why do you think that Skylar - When the civil war was over life got a lot better for the people living in the United States. African Americans became free in 1865 and was put into the Amendments as the 13th amendment. Which made a huge difference in everyone’s lives, especially the cotton plantation owners in the south because they would no longer have free labor. Ricky- life for African Americans, as Skylar said, “got a lot better”. After the emancipation proclamation/13th amendment African Americans worked on railroads, owned shops, and even got to vote (black men).   African americans became as the same as any white person there was no “an african american person couldn't do this because blank” anymore. There was a african american named george washington carver who made 300 different products from peanuts. Another named Booker T Washington started a University.   Ben - There were still some restrictions on what they could do though, they still couldn’t testify against white people, serve in a jury, or serve in some state militias. - Ethan - All their bad treatment didn’t completely disappear because the idea of slavery was still fresh in people’s minds so while they weren’t whipped as slaves anymore, they still were discriminated. - Blake - Just like I said before this wasn’t a good time for African Americans even though we had passed anti-discrimination laws southern states were still able to get around these laws. The Compromise of 1877 Why did the compromise have to happen? What was the final factor that gave Hayes his victory. What was the main deal in the Compromise? Skylar - The Compromise of 1877 was put into place to resolve a Presidential election that took place a year before. There was a dispute between the democrat Samuel Tilden and republican Rutherford Hayes. This dispute was obviously over who was going to become the next President of the US. Samuel J. Tilden won with 247,448 votes, but votes in 3 states were being disputed. These states were in the South and were, Florida, Louisiana, as well as South Carolina. This lasted 4 months then this compromise was put into place. Ricky-ricky-The compromise was put in place because of a dispute because Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote, but Rutherford B Hayes won the electoral vote. So the Democrats agreed that he would be president in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South also granting of home rule in the south.   Basically the exchange in this compromise was that Rutherford B Hayes would become President and the south would get home rule and federal troops with withdraw from the south   - Ethan - The compromise was seemingly a president in exchange troop withdrawal.   Ben- With most debates the best option is a compromise, it will make both sides an equal amount of happy or sad. And with the destruction of the souths economy everyone was reconstructing their businesses.   - Blake - The compromise of 1877 was basically meant as a tiebreaker for the previous presidential election which had also affected African Americans Jim Crow The origins of Jim Crow - introduction Origins of Jim Crow - the Black Codes and Reconstruction Origins of Jim Crow - the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments Origins of Jim Crow - Compromise of 1877 and Plessy v. Ferguson What are the Jim Crow Laws and what did they encompass, why did people think there was a need to put those laws into place? Skylar - Jim Crow laws were racist laws. Saying for example, this bathroom is for blacks and this is a special one for whites. Jim Crow laws were really popular in the South from the 1870 through the 1960. Nearly 100 years. Most schools, restaurants, bathrooms, buses, stores, ect. Were using these laws to keep African Americans out of their places of business. If a black man had a business that was making good money some nieve white men would burn their homes/shops down because they were jealous. If a white and black person were together they’d hang the black person in the middle of town which is so crazy. Ricky- a Jim Crow was a stock character, used for getting a point across to the General Public, a Jim Crow was used in Minstrel shows as a means of communication to people who did not know how to read. And now it's where we go into extremely racist territory, hm Crow was a white person who put whatever black stuff all over their face to look like a black person and to act like a black person for the plays that they had of the book Uncle Tom's Cabin - Ethan - These laws enforced racial segregation. Like saying that they were equal but separated. Jim Crow was also a character used in some plays which was an ethnic depiction of the white man's idea of a black person. Ben- Ending slavery didn’t end racism that’s for sure, I’d say only 80% of the laws making slaves free were really only 80% freedom. It just shows how people have socially adapted and even though there are still bad things happening today, it’s a lot better than before. - Blake - So y’all basically covered everything and give me crap for writing about something already used so i’ll just be going over the basics. Jim Crowe was a derogatory term used to describe African Americans it was also used as a name for a set of laws set by white people to legally segregate. That’s all we have time for today. Thanks for joining us in this emancipation from the box, that is learning.

Toby and Sticks catch up a little. Sticks chats with a friend about the history and maintenance of the M1 Garand

Today is November 11th, Veteran’s Day in the USA. By now, World+Dog knows about Donald Trump’s “surprise” win over Hillary Clinton in the US Presidential Election.  “The Donald” is now our President-Elect and will become the 45th President of the … Continue reading →

Adriel, Trevor and Kelly speak with Ryan from Highlander Tactical about Kydex holsters, Polyethylene ballistic amour and nightvision equipment. Lots of M1 Garand and Scotch talk. Links Highlander Tactical Highlander Tactical on Facebook Sierra 64 Riflecraft Upcoming Sporting Clays Matches Shot Shell April Opener – April 23-24 Ashcroft/Cache Creek Inaugural Shoot – April 23-24 Shot … Continue reading SFR Episode 152 – Highlander Tactical → The post SFR Episode 152 – Highlander Tactical appeared first on Slam Fire Radio.

It's been a little while.  Given what happened in October (see the previous episode), I hope you all can understand why.  If anyone could possibly be the “poster child” for the need to carry, my Dad–the now late C. Terrell … Continue reading →

This week, I'm joined by Nathaniel, a writer & firearms historian for The Firearm Blog to discuss the self loading rifle trials of the 1920's which ultimately led to the adoption of the M1 Garand! Visit www.gunguyradio.com for complete show notes!

This week, I’m joined by Nathaniel, a writer & firearms historian for The Firearm Blog to discuss the self loading rifle trials of the 1920’s which ultimately led to the adoption of the M1 Garand! Visit www.gunguyradio.com for complete show notes!

It's one of the great gearhead mysteries: when you see something interesting on the side of the road, do you stop and grab it? We've all asked ourselves the same question, because we've all seen the awesome things from garages and truck beds that litter the side of the road, be they tools, surfboards, buckets, coolers, truck chains, hubcaps, pineapples or a nice M1 Garand...  On this episode of the Garage Hour, the gearhead goons chat about all of the great things that they've scored on the side of the road, and a bunch more of the things they couldn't grab because they were a Soviet tank that had been holed by a recoilless rifle. It's a Garage Hour, so have no fear - there's also plenty of digression to keep things spicy: Bathist dead-enders, Twisted Manzanita beers, Soviet bitch tanks (.45 Phil assured us that's a thing), Crazy Nick the Board Opp, reverse voyeurism, Jim Jones and Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson's birthday.

The one-time president for the New York City branch of the radical black nationalist National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, M-1 caused some controversy in the underground rap scene as a part of the critically acclaimed and ostensibly socialist Dead Prez twosome. While he and Stic.man were in between labels, each ventured out with his own solo project. M-1 was inspired to put together a solo album in part by doing production work for other artists, including Mississippi rapper David Banner, but also from collaborating with Italian jazz guitarist Fabrizio Sotti (who produced most of jazz diva Cassandra Wilson's 2003 Glamoured album). In March 2006, M-1 released the Confidential LP as a CD/DVD combination, with contributions from Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, and Cassandra Wilson herself. The first single, "'Til We Get There," did fall below the radar of mainstream airplay, but not before the album reached the number 23 spot on the independent chart and 52 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. M-1, aka Mutulu Olugabala is an African rapper, activist and author known for his work as one half of the political hip hop duo Dead Prez along with his life long friend Stic.man aka Clayton Gavin. His choice of the name "M-1" is likely a reference to the semi-automatic rifle. The M1 Garand rifle is notable as the mainstay of American infantry in WWII, and Malcolm X held the M1 carbine variation in a famous photo printed in Life magazine in 1964. M-1's first solo album Confidential was released on March 21, 2006 through Sotti/Koch Records. Following Confidential M-1 worked on the album Can't Sell Dope Forever by Dead Prez/Outlawz. M-1 is also featured in the UK documentary, Guilty or Innocent of Using the N Word. He can also be seen acting in Chappelle's Show comedy sketches.

Dr. Airsoft (Mark Vaughan, M.D.) and Rangemaster Larry report their experiene with Shot Show 2013 from the perspective of Milsim Airsoft with an emphasis on safety. Rate the show on iTunes. See www.airsoftmedicine.com.

Dr. Airsoft (Mark Vaughan, M.D.) and Rangemaster Larry report their experiene with Shot Show 2013 from the perspective of Milsim Airsoft with an emphasis on safety. Rate the show on iTunes. See www.airsoftmedicine.com.

We take some time to talk about CMP and Scott goes to Camp? Please visit us at http://www.thegunshowpodcast.com

Tom talks with Michigan attorney Jim McKowski about the not guilty verdict. For more info on the story, click here.