Recently France, Great Britain, and the United States commenced Operation Odyssey Dawn, launching air and cuise missal attacks against Muammar al-Gaddafi’s Libyan forces. This is not the first time France and the U.S. found themselves supporting, or in, military operations against Libya. In the 1980′s, France and Libya supported opposing factions during Chad’s civil war. The current offensive against Gaddafi and his forces is the second time America has resorted to airpower in settling matters with Libya. On 15 April 1986, the U.S. launched Operation El Dorado Canyon in response to the bombing of a Berlin discotheque on 5 April 1986. While this operation bloodied Gaddafi’s forces, it ultimately did little to prevent future Libyan sponsored acts of terrorism. A notable example being the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scottland.
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Back in January, I discussed my growing fascination with the Vietnam War. Last week I officially changed my doctoral concentration from the First World War to the Vietnam War. While this required changing committee chairs and some paperwork, the process removed a great deal of stress from my shoulders. There is no doubt in my mind that my academic career led me to the Vietnam War. The only reason why it took me so long to concentrate on Vietnam is because of the strong political and personal bonds many people have to the war. Now that I have realized that such political allegiance can be dealt with, I am excited to be involved in such an active field. With many topics poorly covered in the literature, or simply overlooked, the possibilities for fresh research are far too tantalizing for me to ignore.
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For those of you who remain unsure about earning an MA or PhD in the realm of Military History, this article might help in the decision process. Historians who have already entered the field of Military History should feel a certain amount of vindication. Being a PhD student at the University of Southern Mississippi never felt so good.
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Today I read of VMI cadets re-living the wartime experiences of their Civil War brethren. While I have no issues with people re-enacting the lives of soldiers, I do think some take it to the extreme. The following excerpt if from WAVY, a local Hampton Roads broadcaster.
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A lot of talk over how to combat these new age pirates has been going on for a few years, with the only major action being the increase of foreign warships in the waters off western Africa. Has this helped? Anyone following the news this week is well aware of the capture of an American merchant vessel by pirates of the coast of Somalia. So in short, no, using modern warships has not helped. Much of the blame can be attributed to the lack of sufficient numbers in armed ships as well as the rules of engagement agreed upon by many of the nations taking part in the anti-piracy patrols.
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Synopsis
The purpose of Thompson Werk is to present the musings of a US War and Society doctoral student. Discussion topics principally center around the World Wars and Vietnam.
The opinions expressed on this site are not be confused with those of my colleagues, employers, friends, family, and/or anyone else associated with me.
Contact me with any comments, complaints, and/or questions.
Responses
- Robert: Everyone needs to see Vietnam,
- Ross Mahoney: Sounds like it is another
- Robert: My original post omitted the
- Robert: Hey Ross, Vietnam is a
- Ross Mahoney: Robert it looks like a
