Weekly Blog

A Small Illustration

from the book

Rodwell, G. F.: “South by East:

Notes of Travel in Southern Europe

1877

Monday, May 25th, 2020

Decoration Day
The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict ever fought by these United States. In five short years, at battles such as Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Stones River, and many others, Soldiers died by the tens of thousands, while the conditions at P.O.W. camps, such as Elmira, New York, and Andersonville, Georgia, killed thousands through starvation and exposure. Death also stalked Soldiers, by ones and twos, during encampments, travel, and in accidents. Either way, these Soldiers on both sides of the conflict and the tens of thousands of Civilians were remembered by their surviving kin.

According to one source, Freedmen and Freedwomen of Charleston, South Caroline were the first to honor our fallen Soldiers, in 1865, with over 10,000 people participating in a parade, singing songs, and remembering their liberators, in a local event.

Over the years and throughout the country, communities and the Nation, at first, only recognized the fallen from the Civil War.

But, ...

As these United States took part in other conflicts, especially WW I, a National need was recognized to honor the fallen, so in 1971, Memorial Day became a Federal Holiday to be observed on May 30th. 


Memorial Day
Several years later, the date was changed to the last Monday in May to remember our fallen in service to the Nation, such as Maj. William J. Vinopal, Spc. Nicholas C. Panipinto, the Soldiers on Arrow Air-Flight 1285, Master Sgt. Michael B. Riley, SFC. Antonio Rey Rodriguez, and many others

So, ...

Put down your beers, put your arms around the people you love, lower your heads, and remember, ...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high.

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.

by

John McCrae

Link:

Battlefields.org - Q. How many soldiers died in the Civil War?
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-facts#How%20many%20soldiers%20died%20in%20the%20Civil%20War?

Battlefields.org -  Q. What happened to prisoners?
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-facts#What%20happened%20to%20prisoners?

Civil War Talk - Civilian Deaths- Civil War
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/civilian-deaths-civil-war.23466/ 

History.com - One of the Earliest Memorial Day Ceremonies Was Held by Freed Slaves
https://www.history.com/news/memorial-day-civil-war-slavery-charleston





Air Force Times - The Real History of Memorial Day

https://www.airforcetimes.com/veterans/military-history/2019/05/27/the-real-history-of-memorial-day/

Histroy.com - Memorial Day
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

Poetry Foundation - John McCrae
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/john-mccrae

Table of Contents

How to Use

Learning to Make a Fire,
at the Sibpur B E College Model High School (ca 2013)
photograph by
Biswarup Ganguly

Chapters
There are currently sixteen chapters in Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead. These chapters cover, I believe, the most important things you and your family need to do first, to survive an event.


Quick Start
Each chapter starts with a simple, inexpensive thing that you and your family can do to increase you chances of surviving an event, such as check and test the smoke detectors in your home, store three gallons of water for everyone in the family including your pets, make sure everyone in your family has a warm coat, hat, and gloves, locate your homes water, gas, and electric shut off/circuit breaker, and several others.


To Learn More
If you and your family would like to become better prepared, than just the minimum, continue to the rest of the chapter by following the link.


Additional Articles
At over two hundred pages, Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead has a lot of information, but I wanted you and your family to learn and know more about prepping, so I collected some of my articles for you to read and learn.


Additional References
Prepping is always changing, new threats are identified, different techniques are shared, and more equipment is introduced. Plus, no one knows it all, about prepping.

So, ...

Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead has collected several different links, that you might be interested in reading, for each chapter. They are are videos, articles, and links to other people's thought and techniques for surviving the tough times ahead.

A Boy Appears Overwhelmed
by the devastation caused by the recent tsunami (ca 2005)
photograph by
Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Tyler J. Clements

Overwhelmed
There is a lot of information about preparing for disastrous events in Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead, so much that it can seem overwhelming, especially in the beginning.

But, ... Don't despair.

Take it slow and focus on the important stuff, complete an inventory, determine what you need, make a shopping list, and ...

In other words, ... Start with Chapter One: Mental Preparations.

Table of Contents

Suppliers

A Street Merchant
tries to persuade a young lady
to buy bread (ca 1821)
lithograph by
John James Chalon

Shop Local
People mistakenly think, they and their families need to purchase their prepping supplies and equipment from specialty retailers on the internet.

Not the least.

Many of the items you and your family will need are available locally, such as ...

Items to prepare your home can be found at the local lumber yard or the big box home improvement centers.

Items to prepare your family can be found at the local or regional 'Farm and Home' stores.

Items to protect your family can be found at your local 'Gunstore'

Lastly, ...

Many of the items you and your family will need, to survive the tough times ahead, are items you use everyday.

So, ...

Shop Local so the businesses will be there, when you need them.



Below are folks I have done business with.

On-Line Retailers

 AmmoMan is a retailer of ammunition. I have purchased many cases (O.K. a few cases) of ammunition from the company for many years. I have been very satisfied with their service and prices.

Campmor is a retailer of outdoor gear and camping equipment. I have purchased many items from them, off and on, for over two decades.

Emergency Essentials is a source of dehydrated and freeze-dried food from a variety of suppliers, such as Mountain House, Augason Farms, and their private label food. They also have water storage containers, and other prepping supplies for you and your family.

Keep Shooting is a source for military surplus from around the world. The company has a variety of rugged surplus tactical gear, clothing, and other items for you and your family.

Palmetto State Armory is a great source to find reasonably priced items such as firearms' magazines, assembled upper receivers, and firearms' accessories for such weapons as the AR-15 series rifle, the AK-47 series rifle, and the AR-10 series rifle

Safecastle is a wonderful source of food and equipment for you and your family, including underground shelters

Sierra Trading Post is a retailer of men's, women's, and children's clothing. They also carry outdoor equipment and sports equipment.

Note:
There is only one way to get on this page.

I have done business with the company, and I was satisfied with their service, quality, and price.

P.S.
Needless to say, these companies may or may not (more likely) provide compensation.

Table of Contents 
 

Blog Roll

The Dean’s Roll Call (ca 1899)

By

Thomas Eakins

Bushcraft

Dirttime


Commentary

The Archdruid Report

Yer Ol' Woodpile Report


News or Compiler

Daily Survival

My Daily Informer 

Prepper Website


Financial

Len Penzo.com


Firearms

Say Uncle

WeaponsMan


Medical

Survival Medicine


Prepper/Survivalist

Bison Prepper

Food Storage and Survival

James M. Dakin (Dormant)

Modern Survival Online

The Modern Survivalist

Preparedness Advice Blog

Prep-Blog.com

reThink Survival

Safely Gathered In (Dormant)

SHTF Blog.com

Stealth Survival

Suburban Prepper (Dormant)

Survival Blog

The Survivalist Blog

Survival Medicine

The Survival Podcast

Total Survivalist Blog


Podcast

The Prepper Podcast

Poorman Prepper (profanity)

The Survival Podcast

Table of Contents 

Books and Pamphlets

Ms. Luella Maslon Purchasing the Book
"Everyone Can Cook" (ca 1952)
source
The Steinfeldt Photography Collection
of the
Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest

There are several places to purchase the book Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead

* Smashwords

* Barnes and Noble



You and your family can also borrow the book from your local library or an electronic library

* Scrib

Table of Contents

About Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead

2nd Lt. Shelby Blad Starting a Fire
with a hand drill (ca 2016)
photograph by
Lance Cpl. Osvaldo L. Ortega III

With That Said
Over twelve years ago, I started Getting Started in Emergency Preparedness (GSiEP) because I was dissatisfied with the information provided by other sites. To me, these other sites focused on unrealistic scenarios, failed to provide basic information, or suggested unnecessary and expensive supplies and equipment.

But, there was a problem with a blog, especially GSiEP. Folks must search through ten years of posts for the pertinent information on such subjects as treating water after an event, properly storing enough food, selecting a firearm for protection, buying the best two radios for a disaster, and much more.

With all problems, there are opportunities, so I spent the next year writing a free guide. The guide collected a lot of basic and important information that most families need to know in one place. It did well, but I was dissatisfied.

After much thought and encouragement from friends and family, I decided to turn that experience into a book, so I wrote Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead. It wasn't an easy process, and by that time many others had written about prepping.

But, ...
 
Like my dissatisfaction with other sites, this book would be different from the other prepper books. Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead would have a place to gather and supplement information from around the world with videos, PDF files, and other forms of information currently excluded from books.


So, ...

"May the odds be ever in your favor"

Sincerely, Someone You Know


Links:

GSiEP - 37 Things You Need in a Crisis
https://gsiep.blogspot.com/2012/07/37-things-you-need-in-crisis.html

GSiEP - 37 Things You Need In A Crisis, Part Two
https://gsiep.blogspot.com/2012/07/37-things-you-need-in-crisis-part-two.html

Note:
https://rense.com/general71/100.htm

Table of Contents