Category Archives: US Army Air Corps

When Johnny Comes Marching….

Posted on November 14, 2017 by

Popular music has often served as a useful mirror of our perception of veterans since the founding of the republic. The Civil War resonated with songs that were meant to support the war effort and the Union. As the success … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Force, American History, Military history, Union Army, US Army, US Army Air Corps, US Navy, Veterans, Vietnam Memorial, Vietnam War, World War Ii | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Faded and cracked

Posted on May 8, 2017 by

They are all similar – old, cracked and sometimes faded; the newer ones in washed out color.  There is a commonality to them that may not be readily apparent.  They are photos of young American men and women in uniform. … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, American holidays, Social History, US Army, US Army Air Corps, US Navy, Veterans, Vietnam Memorial, Vietnam War, World War Ii, WWI | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

When we were in the Service

Posted on May 18, 2016 by

I’ve noticed in recent years, I often refer to the time that I was in the Air Force as when “we were in the Air Force.” This is not surprising as being an officer, 50 years ago,  meant that your … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Bolling AFB, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, Military history, Norvell Family History, US Army, US Army Air Corps, US Navy, Veterans | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Citizen Soldiers

Posted on September 30, 2014 by

  In teaching a course on Gettysburg this fall, I have come to think a lot about the citizen soldier. Several generations of the Norvells in my family served our nation, many finding themselves in the front lines: — Lipscomb … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Force, American History, Ancestry, Family History, Marine Corps History, Mexican War, Michigan History, Nashville History, Revolutionary War, Social History, Tennessee History, Texas, Texas History, Union Army, US Army, US Army Air Corps, Vietnam War, Virginia History, War of 1812, World War Ii | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top Cover for America

Posted on July 24, 2014 by

From 1974-1978 I flew intercepts of Soviet bombers off the coast of Alaska in the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter. The F-4 was the mainstay of the Vietnam War and I had arrived in Alaska fresh from a combat … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Force, Alaska, American History, Anchorage, F-4 Phantom II, Family History, Fighter Aircraft, Genealogy, Social History, US Army Air Corps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Back from Bataan….

Posted on August 19, 2013 by

Of the men who survived the Bataan Death March, Colonel William N. Amis is not the most well known. Yet Colonel Amis also had a story to tell. The grandson of Joseph T. Amis and Susan Norvell Amis, William was … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Bataan Death March, Family History, Norvell Family History, Social History, Uncategorized, US Army Air Corps, World War Ii | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment