In 2017, Sonya Carson passed away aged 88. She was the mother of Dr Ben Carson, world-renowned neurosurgeon , writer, politician and man of faith.
As Dr Carson said at the time of her death:
“All that I am is because of the love of my mother. She was one of God’s greatest blessings to me, and it was her foresight and discernment that pushed me to reach my dreams.”
So here is a story about a true America hero. Sonya Carson. Oh, and her son, Ben.
Read more: A true American hero - and her son Dr Ben Carson
When I feel sick or down in the dumps, I try and distract myself with something that is uplifting and cheerful As William Shakespeare said so eloquently in " The Tempest " Misery makes strange bedfellows. "
My old Gran used to tell me that misery loves company - in other words, don't feel sorry for yourself or you will end up surrounded by people and thoughts who make you feel even worse.
And so it does. If you feel miserable, it is often tempting to wallow in self pity and surround yourself with those who feel as shitty as you do. But often, you can find yourself in the company of people or thoughts that are in themselves the opposite to your frame of mind or circumstance.
" Alas, the storm is come again! my best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter hereabouts: misery acquaints a man with strange bed-fellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past. "
And so I turned my mind to something, somewhere , someone who could distract me until the storm passes and I feel more human again. I needed to seek the company of positivity when I am so tempted to feel downright miserable.
And I came up with just the right tonic.
Read more: Misery loves company and often makes strange bedfellows
Ming The Merciless was a nick name given to one of our most outstanding Australian military commanders of WW2.
His name was Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie Morshead. He was the Commanding Officer of the 9th Division of the 2nd AIF, Commander of the garrison of Tobruk during its period under siege from April to December, 1941, the chief Rat of Tobruk one might say, and still in command when the 9th got around the German defences to break the deadlock in the Battle of El Alamein in October, 1942.
He has been rightly described as “The Hero of Tobruk and Alamein”
His greatest achievements were against the German General Erwin Rommel, known as The Desert Fox but Morshead outfoxed him at every throw of the dice.
Read more: MING THE MERCILESS - Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie Morshead - a military hero
We have just enjoyed an enormously successful month and our heartfelt thanks must go out to the posters that contributed to our Military Memory Month in the lead up to ANZAC Day.
As a site devoted to all things patriotic, I wanted to share my hopes and visions for our future and seek your feedback on what we hope to achieve.
What is Patriotism?
The Biden-Boris green virus which infects most of the west has become a danger to Australia. PM Morrison has promised one billion dollars for “hydrogen, CCUS (carbon capture usage or storage), batteries and critical minerals - all to achieve “net zero”.
NOT ONE of these green dreams will produce one light-bulb of new energy – all will consume massive amounts of energy and money.
It is the 25th April, and a German man and his wife from Munich are taking a motoring holiday to the South of France. They pass through the northern French city of Amiens. They observe much gaiety among the populace and are wondering what it is all about.
They pass through the city and 15kms down the road they approach a small town. On the outskirts, they pass a cemetery which has a sign “Adelaide Cemetery”.
Says the man, " that is not a French name. What does it mean? "
Read more: The 25th of April - from the Somme to Sydney, it is still ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day has been sabotaged. Yet again. This time by quotas. Registrations and redtape.
I remember when it was a simple display of heartfelt patriotism and a love of the men and women who fell in service to our Nation.
I remember when it was about standing at dawn on the morning of 25 April and honouring all those who fell because they were patriots. They fell for our way of life and our belief in freedom.
Now we are being asked in many parts of Australia to register to honour our dead. Register? What idiocy is this?
Read more: I remember when... I first experienced the ANZAC tradition
Sydneys III, IV and V did not get the opportunity to show their true mettle as did numbers I and II. After 1945 there were no more “real” wars that involved our country. There were UN peacekeeping operations and participation in conflicts undertaken by the Coalition of the Willing. Korea was officially dubbed a UN peacekeeping operation. Vietnam was a war between North & South Vietnam where our role was to support an ally, the USA in flushing out the Viet Cong.
Nevertheless to those who were taking part the bullets, bombs and shells were real and lethal regardless of the handle given to the conflict and whenever the call went out to give support to our allies our response as always was “Australia will be there!”
I dedicate this article to the women who fought, died and tragically were lost. Alongside the brave men who did the same. I dedicate it to the women who kept the wheels turning on the farms and in the mines and in the factories and in the family homes.
There is great equality in life and in death. But nowhere as great as in the love we feel in our hearts.
Read more: Women at War and the women who kept the homefires burning
Over the past month, we have been reading articles from Happy Expat about our boys on the frontline. I have to hand it to him. It made me start to think again.
The journey down the path of a road we never knew we wanted to explore but found ourselves walking down nonetheless. We have marched side by side through the swamps and quagmires of our wartorn past and felt the bite of a thousand mosquitoes; dysentery and malnutrition. And these days, all we do is view it from the comfort of our heated or air-conditioned homes as part of a news story.
And we say, almost with an automatic response, Lest We Forget. Are we saying this because it rolls off the tongue? No meaning? Have we forgotten what these brave people did?
The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean during WW2.
Its story is synonymous with the Rats of Tobruk. It was the means of supply to the beleaguered town under siege between 10th April, 1941 and 7th December, 1941.
Its name was conferred on it by Dr.Goebbels, the German propaganda minister intending to demean and undermine morale of the five Australian ships that made up the flotilla. As happened with the conferring of the name “Rats of Tobruk” on the garrison troops by Lord Haw Haw, instead of depressing morale it spurred them to greater acts of defiance. Neither understood the make-up of the Australian character.
Read more: The Scrap Iron Flotilla - a tale of the great Aussie Spirit
In the Shadows, Millions Stand: Unsung Heroes Who Answer Duty Without Fame Earlier today, we…
72 hits
The Boundary Rider's been watching the line... but when the rats wear suits and smell…
299 hits
The Devil Doesn’t Need a Deal - He Just Needs Your Vanity A short video…
407 hits
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics underway and the Opening Ceremony just wrapped…
410 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Aerial Edition By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Chief Nibbler & Aeronautical…
284 hits
George Orwell, Leader Worship, and the Question We Still Refuse to Ask In 1944, George…
389 hits
From Knees to Standing: What Gina Rinehart’s Rise Says About Australia A company on the…
601 hits
During the darkest days of World War II, when the world teetered on the edge…
329 hits
The House That Changed Hands and Still Stood for the same corrupt regime By The…
354 hits
Few figures in maritime history are as polarising as Captain William Bligh. Often portrayed as…
392 hits
On Bloody Sunday 30 January in 1972, peaceful protesters in Derry were gunned down by soldiers…
374 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Reference Guide Purpose: A canonical reference for writers, artists, and collaborators…
193 hits
Dusty Gulch Gazette – Chapter 2 Shadows in the Frangipani By Roderick Whiskers McNibble, Chief…
446 hits
In early 1942, the Japanese launched their invasion of the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia)…
720 hits
Before Everything Became Political I grew up in a small rural farming community in New…
467 hits
Political parties were meant to serve the people, but in today’s climate, they resemble warring…
426 hits
Australia Day 2026: A Quiet Line in the Sand I began writing something cheerful. Something…
479 hits
It's time to move beyond guilt-or-glory myths. History is never simple, and it should never…
1224 hits
Why modern activism feels less like justice and more like identity I was watching Rebel…
442 hits
By The Boundary Rider, Dusty Gulch Gazette Part bush philosopher, part realist, part stubborn old…
475 hits
A Stranger on the Line: Meeting the Boundary Rider By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Dusty Gulch…
488 hits
So many people from all walks of life have shaped our Aussie way of life,…
455 hits
As Australia Day approaches, I am reminded of a moment not long ago when ANZAC…
489 hits
Another 26th of January is on our doorstep. Only a few more sleeps before we…
517 hits
Australia's White Australia Policy was a set of laws designed to restrict immigration by people…
497 hits
Frozen Whiskers and Secret Missiles By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Senior Foreign Correspondent, Dusty Gulch Gazette…
553 hits
By Roderick Whiskers McNibble, Chief Nibbler & Correspondent Date: Some dark night in Dusty Gulch,…
505 hits
Iran’s Self-Rescue and the Moral Test for a Silent West When calls for rescue come…
547 hits
Albo, the Old Testament, and the Strange Shape of Freedom Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thought…
520 hits
BREAKING: Albanese Appoints Malcolm Turnbull as US Ambassador – “Time to Pay the Piper” Edition! Canberra,…
537 hits
Albanese, the Bikini, and the Death of Aussie Larrikinism Following the horrific massacre at Bondi…
1599 hits