Author: Mark Flowers

I'm a retired Soldier who loves history. I've been studying our military past for many years, especially the parts that don't usually make it into books and magazines. My military experienced spanned the Cold War years and after. I served in combat with the Big Red One during the 1991 Gulf War. Today, I live on a pretty spot in the country, where I love peace and quiet. When I'm nor writing, my passion is cooking, especially on my Green Egg.
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Where the hell was Daley Barracks?

closeup of a rusty dog tag with the text thank you veterans engraved in it, next to a flag of the United States, on a rustic wooden surface
I live out in the countryside of western Oregon, in a valley nestled between mountains and ocean. There aren't any large military posts in the state, but we have a relatively large veteran population. Hardly a day goes by that I don't see someone wearing a veteran shirt or ball cap. People here are generally …

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Range 301 – a summer night in 1988 and the Blackhorse

M1 tank night fire, May 1988
"On line" by Staff Sgt. Roger Price, pen and ink, 1990, U.S. Army Art Collection Range 301 – Combined arms range; largest in Western Europe In the above art piece, an M1 tank unit and a fire support team are shooting at Range 301 on the northwestern side of Grafenwoehr Training Area in southern Germany. …

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Cpl. Nicolas Hernandez, 481738, U.S.M.C.

Cpl. Nicolas Hernandez at Camp Pendleton in 1944
Many years ago, I met World War II Marine Tom Williams, who was originally from Los Angeles. He relocated to Oregon – where I live – in the 1990s. In about 2000-ish, I hosted an exhibit of wartime Marine Corps memorabilia and Tom was one of the visitors. Over the course of time, we developed …

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Podcast – To be a Marine in World War II

New Britain, January 1944. After nineteen days on the line and the successful attack on Hill 660, Pfc George C. Miller (Jersey City, N. J.) trudges wearily to the rear. He served with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, First Marine Division. USMC Photo
World War II feels like a thousand years ago to many people, but in historical terms, it wasn't really that long ago. In this episode of the Fix Bayonets podcast, I look back in time to examine the world that wartime Marines lived in. To help better illustrate the story, I share a few passages …

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97th Bombardment Group paintings, 1942

B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 97th Bombardment Group return to base after their first strategic mission against occupied Europe, August 17th, 1942. U.S. Art Art Collection.
Respected artists deployed across the globe on assignment to Life Magazine during World War II to capture images of Americans at war. Among them was Peter Hurd, noted for his portraits and southwestern landscapes. In the late summer and autumn of 1942, he traveled to the United Kingdom to paint airmen of the 97th Bombardment …

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Life on the front lines in war

As anyone who has served in war can tell you, life is tough at the sharp end of the spear. Also, you spend a good deal of time dealing with friction. Getting simple things done can be a real pain in the ass. Take the most simple tasks, multiply them by four, and you get an idea.

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