Melanie Kirkpatrick

1 month ago | wsj.com | Melanie Kirkpatrick

When my mother was asked why she joined the Navy during World War II, she would reply: “We were at war. I had to do something.” Mother was one of 100,000 women who enlisted in the Waves—Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service—established for the purpose of replacing male workers, who were thereby freed to fight. Decades later, women who served their country in manifold ways during World War II would become the subjects of numerous novels and histories.

1 month ago | myemail.constantcontact.com | Helene Cooper |Edward Wong |Alan Cullison |Melanie Kirkpatrick

Quotes of the Day:"Revolution is not a mwere struggle for power, it is a struggle for justice and freedom for all."– Emma Goldman"The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks."– C.S. Lewis“Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.”  – Frederick Douglas1. What Do We Stand For? by Hy Rothstein2. Failure Mechanisms in Democratic Regimes – an Army’s Role (The Angry Staff Officer)3.

Jan 21, 2025 | wsj.com | Melanie Kirkpatrick

Washington has known its share of prominent hostesses. As the sociable wife of the nation’s fourth president, Dolley Madison brought together the warring members of Congress at her fabled Wednesday evening “drawing rooms.” Then there was Alice Roosevelt Longworth—the strong-willed, sharp-tongued daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt and the wife of Nicholas Longworth, speaker of the House.

Nov 27, 2024 | wsj.com | Melanie Kirkpatrick

In the 400-plus year history of our national Thanksgiving holiday, perhaps the most prominent and enduring feature has been gratitude to God. Yet as the percentage of nonbelievers increases, the Almighty is increasingly elbowed out by secular celebrations. Food, family and football now prevail over the fourth “f”: faith. Such criticism is nothing new: It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without someone lamenting its secularization and urging Americans to focus less on feasting and more on giving thanks.

Sep 17, 2024 | wsj.com | Melanie Kirkpatrick

If the name Squanto doesn’t ring a bell, ask an 8-year-old. The story of the Native American who helped the Pilgrims survive their first desperate year in what is now Plymouth, Mass., has become a staple of elementary-school curricula. The laudable objective is to give the Wampanoag people their due in the often-misrepresented Thanksgiving story. Squanto: A Native Odyssey Yale University Press We may earn a commission when you buy products through the links on our site.