By James Breig During the Civil War 150 years ago, flag-bearers were targets. On battlefields from Gettysburg to Petersburg, they were in the crosshairs of their opponents. The reason for that is that they played such a pivotal role when a battle was joined. Soldiers looked to flags, including their regimental colors, to show them… continue
By James Breig Mariano Rivera, the storied relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, has retired after 19 years on the team. He set numerous records, appeared in several World Series and is a sure-thing for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. To celebrate his career, the Yankees honored his achievements during a recent… continue
By James Breig Given their nature and purpose, flags can be saluted or slandered, waved or waved away, raised up or torn down from flagpoles. That duality occurred during the Civil War, when battles in places like Gettysburg, Pa., brought brother into conflict with brother, each of whom saluted a different banner. There, as on… continue
By James Breig If you had to write a letter to your spouse and child that wouldn’t be read until after you died, what would you say? In January 1912, that question was faced by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, a British explorer, when his expedition to the South Pole failed in two ways: *He was… continue
By James Breig When is A flag not THAT flag? That odd but important question lies at the heart of a documentary that debuted Sept. 4 on CNN. The 90-minute program, “The Flag,” went in search of the banner that flew atop the rubble of 9/11 in New York City in 2001. Everyone remembers THAT… continue