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The Vietnam War – Marland Burckhardt – Command, Intelligence School, and the 82nd Airborne

We have been following Marland Burckhardt, a Russell High School graduate who married his Russell sweetheart during college and began a career as an Army officer focused on Military Intelligence and Special Forces operations. He deployed to Vietnam in January 1970 where he provided intelligence support to the 5th Special Forces Group. Upon his return, he and Barb moved to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. “We drove into Fort Huachuca in February of 1971. Before you got to Huachuca there was a little town called Huachuca City. (Marland chuckled) It was nothing but dilapidated trailer houses. ...

Ask a Trooper

Question: Can you explain what the lines on the highways and streets indicate? I feel like a lot of people can’t figure it out. Thanks. Answer: Pavement markings direct and regulate traffic. White lines separate lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. • White dashes: You can change lanes where this marking is present. • Shorter and thicker white dashes: The lane is ending. • Solid white line: You should not change lanes. Solid white lines also mark crosswalks, stop lines at intersections, parking stalls and the edges of a roadway. • Double solid white ...

Looking back at spooky times

It’s a scary time of year. That peculiar holiday called Halloween is upon us, the only occasion wherein we encourage our children to take candy from strangers — after the kiddos issue a vague threat to the homeowner. Trick-or-treating is a grand tradition that dates back centuries. I know this because I participated in trick-or-treating when I was a youngster. There were no commercially produced Halloween costumes back then. At least there weren’t for my seven siblings and me. Kitting out that many kids would have meant that my parents would have lost money in the ...

The colors of fall

Yes, we’ve all been here and seen them many times. However, it’s time to talk about them. Talk about what? The absolutely amazing colors of fall. Growing up on a farm, the colors that welcomed autumn were mostly light tan and brown. Those were the colors our surrounding grove treated us to as the temperatures went lower, lower etc. There were a few maples that honored us with red colors, and some sumac that enjoyed showing off their red fall leaves after a long season of green. Usually what happened was that those colors of autumn disappeared very suddenly. That was a result ...

Go for the gold

Wherever you find yourself in the outdoors this fall, go for the gold. As the season shifts, the leaves change and fall, and the grasses dry up and transition to their autumn hues — from the those brassy shades of tall field grasses in a wildlife management area to the bright yellows of the aspen trees in a state or national forest - the varied shades of gold are a hallmark of great hunting, because they not only help color the experience in the wild world, they also suggest strong habitat to support the game species we pursue. While wandering down a windward draw, my dog and I ...

Nothing like harvest time

We are in the middle of harvest. Taking time to write this and drink coffee is a great luxury. There is a grease gun calling my name right now. “Sheesh, I’ll be right out. Can’t a guy have a break?” The answer to that is no, unless it’s raining or you’re broke down. I did take a day to attend a funeral and a wedding. None of the participants were farmers. So, their lack of timing can be forgiven. There are about a half million farmers in the United States who grow corn. Many of them are in the fields now, bringing the crop in. Add spouses in support roles, elevator ...