Category Archives: Neglected History

May 22, 2016 · 4:15 pm

ARCHIE MILLER: MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT

Archie MillerWith Memorial Day fast approaching Balladeer’s Blog will once again examine neglected conflicts, military units and recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

ARCHIE MILLER – Miller earned the Medal of Honor in action against Muslim slave-holders in the Philippines on July 2nd, 1909 on Patian Island. At the time Archie was a First Lieutenant in the 6th U.S. Cavalry. In a raging battle with the slave-owning Moro Muslims the crew manning a U.S. machine gun on a tripod were driven off. Continue reading →

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April 21, 2016 · 9:31 pm

PRINCE DIES AT AGE FIFTY-SEVEN

Prince Dirty MindThe singer and musician Prince is dead. Since I like to be different I figured I would post a pic of his work titled Dirty Mind instead of the bigger hits that everyone else is featuring.

And yes, if you’re new to Dirty Mind the song When You Were Mine is the same piece later covered by Cyndi Lauper. Meanwhile Head created a minor radio controversy and Sister (a song about incest) created a major radio controversy.  Continue reading →

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February 29, 2016 · 12:03 am

LEAP DAY MILESTONES

Charles “The Bearded Badass” Darwin

Some things happen only once every four years – things like Michael Moore having a coherent thought and Bill O’Reilly prying his head out of his ass. Another one of those things would be February 29th: Leap Day. Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at some of the milestone events that got cheated out of a yearly anniversary by happening on this date.

1704 – French provocateurs and Native Americans attack Deerfield, MA and kill roughly 50 inhabitants while abducting 100. Ronald Reagan’s ancestor recommends selling arms to Persia to secure the release of the abductees.

1712 – In Sweden February 29th is followed by February 30th to help usher in the new calendar system … and because Al Sharpton’s ancestor demanded an extra day in February to make Black History Month a little bit longer.  

1720 – Back to Sweden, where Queen Ulrica Eleonora resigns following general public ridicule of her name “Ulrica”. I’m kidding! But she did resign.

1784 – In France, the Marquis de Sade is transferred from the fortress of Vincennes to the Bastille in exchange for 3 other sadists and a masochist to be named later.

1832 – Charles Darwin explores the Continue reading →

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February 16, 2016 · 10:48 pm

MY FAVORITE UNINTENTIONALLY DIRTY CAMPAIGN SLOGAN

Mascot with demo and repub heads

The symbol of the nonexistent Balladeer Political Party

Since it’s a presidential election year the Democrats and Republicans are lying even more than they normally do. To lighten the mood a little here is my favorite unintentionally dirty campaign slogan of all time.

It’s from 1940, when Franklin Roosevelt was running for a controversial third term and his opponent was Wendell Wilkie. Wilkie supporters wore buttons that expressed their disapproval of a president trying for a third term in office. Here they are: Continue reading →

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February 2, 2016 · 12:37 am

IT’S JAMES JOYCE’S BIRTHDAY!

jamesjoyceHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JAMES JOYCE! His works got me hooked in my teens when I really related to his character Stephen Dedalus as he rejected his religion and indulged what I call his “young and pretentious side” in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I wore out my copy of Joyce’s novel Ulysses and continue to mark Bloom’s Day to this very day.

Over the years Finnegans Wake replaced Ulysses as my favorite Joyce novel and I’m fonder than many people are of his play Exiles, his “epiphanies” in Dubliners and, poetry geek that I am, even Pomes Penyeach and Chamber Music. So, if you live in Ireland, say hello to Anna Livia Plurabelle for me today!   Continue reading →

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January 1, 2016 · 5:25 am

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New YearHAPPY NEW YEAR! As a light-hearted start here’s a look at events that happened on New Year’s Day in the past.

1935 – The very first Orange Bowl pitted Bucknell University against the University of Miami. Bucknell won 26-0. Meanwhile the first Sugar Bowl saw Tulane defeat Temple 20-14.

1915 – With World War One raging a German U-Boat struck in the English Channel, sinking the ship the Formidable and killing 547 people. Continue reading →

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November 11, 2015 · 11:14 pm

MORE AMERICAN BATTLES WITH MUSLIM FORCES

U.S. Naval hero Stephen Decatur

U.S. Naval hero Stephen Decatur

With Veteran’s Day here at last  Balladeer’s Blog takes a last look at additional U.S. military actions against Muslim forces.

*** February 16th, 1804 – On October 31st of the previous year the USS Philadelphia had hit an uncharted reef in the Mediterranean Sea while pursuing a Tripolitan Muslim ship. The Philadelphia had foundered and been seized along with her crew by the Muslims of what is now Libya.

On February 16th of 1804 the naval forces under Commodore Edward Preble pulled off a daring action which today would be considered a commando raid or Navy Seals operation. The objective: destroying the captured Philadelphia which the Muslim forces had refitted to guard Tripoli Harbor. Continue reading →

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November 11, 2015 · 3:07 pm

HAPPY VETERANS DAY 2015

Happy Veterans Day!

Happy Veterans Day!

Well, it’s been nearly 100 years since November 11th, 1918 saw the end of World War One, or the Great War as it was called before anyone knew a second global conflict would occur. As we all know the date eventually became designated as the day for honoring the people who make it possible for the rest of us to lead our lives in relative safety. 

Irrational political partisans often forget that the only reason any of them have the luxury of sitting back and making pompous, self-righteous pronouncements is because of the men and women who go out and actually DO something. 

And those men and women do it even though they know that Continue reading →

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November 10, 2015 · 3:50 am

ANOTHER U.S. NAVAL VICTORY OVER MUSLIM NAVIES

Commodore John Rodgers, who was a Captain at the time of this battle.

Commodore John Rodgers, who was a Captain at the time of this battle.

With Veteran’s Day approaching here’s another neglected U.S. military action against Muslim forces.

June 21st, 1803 – I’m skipping ahead to this battle since it featured the USS Enterprise in action again and for pop culture reasons that seemed to really goose the reaction to the previous Enterprise victory. We’re still in the First Barbary War.

Off the coast of what is now Libya the USS Enterprise was maintaining our blockade on the east, the USS Adams on the west and the USS John Adams in the center. The Muslims sent out a polacre plus nine gunboats to do battle. Hundreds of Muslim infantry and cavalry lined the shore, ready to open fire on the American vessels if the battle brought them within range. Continue reading →

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November 9, 2015 · 12:01 am

U.S. NAVY VS MUSLIM NAVIES

Enterprise over the TripoliWith Veteran’s Day approaching Balladeer’s Blog will be examining various neglected military actions of the past, including our forgotten wars with Muslim nations.

August 1st, 1801 – The U.S.S. Enterprise engaged in battle with the Muslim ship Tripoli from what is now Libya. This action was part of the First Barbary War, fought over the escalating demands for tribute from the Muslim criminal nations that preyed on Mediterranean shipping.

The Enterprise was commanded by Lt Andrew Sterett and the Tripoli by Muhammad Rous. The Tripoli attacked the Enterprise but Sterett outmaneuvered the Muslim ship and the vessels exchanged fire for roughly three hours before the Tripoli pretended to surrender.

The fake surrender was, even then, an old Muslim tactic. The apparent surrender prompted the American ship to stop firing and move in close to accept the surrender. The Muslims on board the Tripoli then resumed firing and attempted to board the Enterprise when it drew near.  Continue reading →

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