Posts by Michael Archer

Describes the lives of Robert McNamara, the American Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, and Marine Lance Corporal Tom Mahoney, who were neighbors while growing up. On July 6, 1947, the Soviet Union began production of the Avtomat Kalashnikova-47 (AK-47), one of the world’s first operational assault rifles, a simple yet durable weapon that…

Archer describes the C-ration diet of the Marines at Khe Sanh Combat Base during the Siege. Date: May 7, 2020 My recent blog piece about Ham and Lima Beans in Juices, aka Ham & MoFo’s, [Food for Thought] generated a lot of feedback (if you’ll pardon the culinary pun). It seems almost everyone has an…

Archer describes the C-ration diet of the Marines at Khe Sanh during the 1968 battle. My previous blog posting about sheltering in place at Khe Sanh in 1968 resulted in some interesting conversations. As millions all over the world are currently learning:  Each day consists basically of staying safe and deciding what to have for…

The author connects the beginning of the battle of Khe Sanh with a nuclear accident in Greenland and an assassination attempt in South Korea that caused a global Cold War crisis. By Michael Archer, January 19, 2023 (from Michael Archer’s Blog) Those of you who have tolerated my scribblings over the years know that January…

This article discusses the operation of the Fire Support Coordination Center (FSCC) at Khe Sanh. The FSCC coordinated artillery fires and aerial bombardment that prevented the base from being overrun. By Michael Archer, from his blog post dated 4 May 2025 Last year, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with retired Marine Colonel Kent O.…