Currently living in Ohio, I have been something of a gypsy. I have lived in 12 states, visited 48 of the 50, two U.S. territories and 18 foreign countries.
Married (second), I have two adult daughters. I also have a stepson and a stepdaughter, both of whom live in Canada. I have five grand kids: two granddaughters, two stepgrandaughters and a stepgrandson.

I have been a journalist most of my life. I worked for nearly 30-some odd years for a variety of daily and non-daily newspapers in a wide range of positions, I also have been a "war correspondent" during Operation Just Cause in 1989 and a teacher and instructor. I also have won multiple journalistic awards, both for writing and newspaper design.

A veteran of two combat eras, I served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Naval Reserve in the Vietnam Era (but not in Vietnam); and was in the Army National Guard when I was called up for service in the Persian Gulf War, during both Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm where I served as an Army public affairs specialist in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

I am medically retired from the U.S. Army as a civilian public affairs officer

My passion is ...

Reading

I know too much about ...

nothing. I know enough about a lot to be extremely dangerous.

My parents always told me ...

Work is its own reward.

My childhood ambition ...

To be an officer in the U.S. Navy

My favorite memory ...

Camping with my brothers and sister

Why I write ...

Because I can

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

a very eclectic collection of books from my own 2000+ volume library

My first job ...

janitor

My inspiration ...

my wife

Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Reflections: Why the Iraq war is justified

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Was the Iraq War necessary? Given the context of the time, it probably was.

Was the Iraq War executed well? Obviously not, or the U.S. would not still have so many troops there.

Why was the Iraq War necessary?

To answer this question we have to slip back in time and review the complex set of circumstances that led up to the invasion.

First, what was there about the regime of Saddam Hussein that made U.S. leaders think it was time for him to leave the world scene?

Well, Saddam was a so-so educated megalomaniac who pictured himself as the savior of the Arab world.

The Arab...

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