Army Archives • BOOMERPDX

page contents Google

VETERANS DAY, 2026

November 11, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Behind every veteran on Veterans Day are people who got them on their way. In this photo the force of nature is on the right. It’s my Mom.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Army, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, facebook, family, history, kids, Love, Marine Corps, MARRIAGE, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, story, travel, twitter, veterans, Veterans Day, wife, writer, writers, writing

ARMY ENLISTMENT? HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

September 7, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Me: Today is my Army enlistment anniversary. Did you remember. Wife: It’s also the day my Mom died. Me: It is? I mean, yes, it is, and also my anniversary. Wife: I’m glad you remember it. Me: And there’s another thing to celebrate on the same date. Wife: What?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, army enlistment, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, family, for ord, history, learning, Love, MARRIAGE, married, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Social media, story, travel, wife, wise words, writer, writers, writing

MY TOP JULY FOURTH: 1976

July 2, 2026 by David Gillaspie

In 1976 July Fourth found me living in Philadelphia, of all places. I was standing in the audience listening to President Ford address the nation from the Liberty Bell. I was a regular Army private two months from being discharged after two years. My uncle, a career Marine, was with me. It felt different than […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4th of July, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, facebook, family, July 4, July Fourth, liberty bell, Marine, philadelphia, president ford, Social media, wife, writer, writers, writing

THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE TO WRITING AN EVERYDAY BLOG

June 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie

An everyday blog is just what it sounds like: Every. Day. Like most things worth pursuing, it takes tenacity and creativity to make something worth writing into something worth reading. No problem, write. Right? But, there’s more.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, creativity, culture, culture shock, dream, education, English major, everyday blog, facebook, family, history, late seventies, learning, life, Love, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, proper perspective, Social media, tenacity, travel, wax museum, wife, writer, writer dream, writer's block, writers, writing, youtube

SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO WHO?

May 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I’ve heard the right message all of my life: Do this and this; don’t do that. Sometimes the right message comes from the right place. Other times?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accountable, alone, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomer blogger, boomers, committed citizens, community, hard part, helpless, message, Oregon, out of touch, personal pride, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, right message, self esteem, travel, vote, voter, wife, writer, writing, your dignity

ONE PFC’S INTERNATIONAL OPINION: NATO

April 6, 2026 by David Gillaspie

As an Army veteran from the mid-1970’s I’ve had time to work up an international opinion on NATO. Reading history is one thing; reading history after wearing the uniform is a whole nother level. Racing up the promotional ranks to the heights of private first class brings it home. The low ranks are the gravel […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Afghanistan, Army, army pfc, Army veteran, Baby Boomer blogger, confusion, disorder, draft dodger, education, history, international, international opinion, koren war, learning, lofty goal, military bases, NATO, pushing war, veteran, war, writer, writing, WWII

DO MORE? LIKE WHAT

March 13, 2026 by David Gillaspie

You need to do more to matter? That’s what you ask yourself when someone says, “You need to do more to matter.” Have you heard that? I still hear it and I’m not some spring chicken pecking my way around the pen. When is enough enough?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, big brother, classic, classic funny, coaching, college, confidence, deployed, do more, education, funny, graduated, judging, losses, opinion, sports, story, unmotivated, wins, writer, writers, writing

POLITICAL HISTORY = HISTORY

January 18, 2026 by David Gillaspie

When you consider historical facts, when you read history, you’re reading political history. With any luck, what you read is put together by someone who has read and understands the role of politics. What is that role? Creating a just and vibrant society for the greatest number of people. But that’s just my opinion.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blind allegiance, boy scout, buzzwords, defective people, draft, draft dodgers, education, excuse, followers, full force, giving back, good times, history, learning, magna carta, modern problems, naive, Nixon, poor behavior, Portland Oregon, relatable, show it, story, tell it, travel, twitter, Vietnam War, writer, writers, writing, WWII

FAMILY TREE BRANCH OF RICHARDSONS

December 7, 2025 by David Gillaspie

As people age up and out they look for meaning in different places. Where some look to DNA, others shake the family tree. That’s what my Grandma did years ago. This is what dropped out:

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: admiral, admiral richardson, Army, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, club life, December 7, education, family tree, following orders, future, general, general richardson, history, illegal orders, learning, Navy, orders, Pearl Harbor, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Texas state historical association, WWII

RESTFUL SLEEP FOR BETTER DAYS

October 10, 2025 by David Gillaspie

For those who wonder about the benefit of restful sleep, stay up a little longer and keep reading. If you’re not on schedule for a solid eight hours of sleep, with power naps mixed in, keep reading. There is something keeping you up, something you can’t put your finger on, or step on, but what? […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Afghanistan, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, better day, blog, blogger, calm down, chain of command, china, dismissed, education, history, illegal orders, Iraq, Korea, lawful orders, learning, Marines, mental, military, military mindset, mindset, narrator, normal, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Power Nap, rest, restful, restful sleep, senior citizens, sleep, story, stressful, turbulent times, unreliable narrator, Vietnam, woke, writer