General Dwight D. Eisenhower The Code Name for the invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, was “D-Day,” and history reveals that the Allied invasion was the major event in bringing down Adolf Hitler and Germany in World War II. What history does not always reveal is how the British were strongly opposed to the plan for the invasion devised by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied troops, and other generals. The plan was meticulously designed.

Because of privacy, I cannot use photos of my own students. This is a stock photo I returned to Pennsylvania and Cambria County earlier this year, and thus have renamed my tutoring business “English Tutoring From the Alleghenies.” As a gift to students who are seeking some help with their preparation for college, I have decided to give students an opportunity for two free sessions this summer on areas that they might choose. You can see more about my services on my website:..

The reality is this: Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani Mayor is a very popular leader of New York City. And this is reality: Jeff Bezos has an approval rating of 19 percent. So, when the mayor says that he is going to issue a “tax-the-rich program for billionaires, guess who the American people — and those in NYC — favor? To prove who is stronger in the city, Mayor Mamdani sent the Amazon owner a bill for 9 million dollars, along with this message, Amazon is worth $2 trillion. But i

From an undocumented immigrant to wife of U.S. senator Her background and beliefs are unique for the wife of a U.S. senator, and she is hardly reluctant to express them. However, Gisele Barreto Fetterman is now wading through her husband’s worst period of his life, and while standing by his side, does not always agree with him philosophically. What makes her unique is that she was at one point in her life an undocumented immigrant, and she discusses that pain and fear very re

The dark reason for the collapse: Their corrupt leader The United States has always been a tremendous supporter of Israel. President Harry S. Truman made us the first country to recognize the state of Israel on May 14, 1948, just 11 minutes after the country declared its independence. That has been the case for decades, as we have spent trillions of dollars in support of our country as we have always hoped for peace in the Middle East. Now, that support has evaporated, and so

Pennsylvania has a first-class operation One of my first tasks upon returning to Pennsylvania earlier this year was to ensure that I renewed my voting rights. I was amazed at how easy the process way and how effective it is, compared to the debacles that I had in my experience in the Midwest. First, since I was still in Cambria County, though at a new address, all I had to do was fill out a county registration form online from the election office. I immediately received email

The most powerful man in the world? Xi Jinping What a difference 16 months has been. The argument in 2025 was that the United States was going to decimate China economically — and in every other respect. The reality is quite different today as talks begin between the two leaders, one with his tail between his legs and the price of oil over $100 a barrel. The Chinese are licking their fingers waiting for a pacified US to meet with the powerful Chinese leader. Here is reality

The greatest health danger to America Remember when the Kennedy name used to bring pride to the American people instead of wrath and despondency? The names of Jack and Bobby Kennedy were very important to American progress from the 1950s to 1970s. How far that hallowed name has fallen. In fact, it is despised in medical circles, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has even been called an outcast by his siblings and other relatives. He has absolutely no medical background, yet somehow i

“Blessed are the Peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God” Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:9 The questions of the morality of war and love for one another are best found in the words of Jesus Christ, according to Pope Leo XIV. Who better to explain the value of those beliefs to the world than a man with this impressive educational resume in the area of theology: Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers Villanova University, B.A. mathematics and philosophy — 1977

Paul and his wife Kathy in the store in 2017 -- Photo Altoona Mirror Some aspects of childhood stick with you, and our weekly trips to Porinchak’s Store in Portage are one of them. As a youngster, I was not certain why my father bought his rib roast and chicken and ground beef at Porinchak's Store, along with bananas and other essentials , but I learned that he and Paul became friends because the store was on his route as a mail carrier on the hills of Portage. They treated m

Pope Leo makes clear Jesus’ words about immigration The bishops of the Catholic Church are finally starting to live up to the words of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, and one of the new church leaders arrived in the U.S. in the trunk of a car trying to escape persecution in El Salvador. Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar was named by Pope Leo to leader West Virginia’s one diocese of 100,000 Catholics. He is replacing a bishop who made clear that Jesus Christ himse

Les Miserables the musical Ambitious, but with the start of May, enticing Join with me this summer with your own list. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo — finished April A true classic: being read by one of my students so I read it again--finished it this week. A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan A great work about the KKK in the 1920s The First Populist by David S. Brown Biography of Andrew Jackson Amiable Scoundrel by Paul Kahan Biography about former Sen. Simon Cameron [c

I originally posted this 11 years ago on a previous site. It was partly in jest, partly just looking at some strange cases. It is now 21 years. Repost from Blogspot April 14, 2015 D.A. may be overseas Now that the 10th anniversary of Ray Gricar's disappearance is upon us, I have identified the missing link to solving that case: Joseph O'Kicki. Remember Cambria County Judge Joe O'Kicki, who was convicted of a vast array of crimes in Cambria County Court but who escaped from j

For a city like Pittsburgh to lose its only newspaper was a devastating blow, but that was what appeared to be on the horizon in just a few weeks. However, yesterday, the skies over Pittsburgh brightened brightly with the news that a non-profit from Baltimore had bought that paper and would continue it under the same name. The Block family owned the paper and said that they could no longer manage to lose money over its operation. However, they found a buyer who appears to be

Will it truly be a World Cup? The 2026 World Cup was projected to be a financial windfall for the United States when it was first devised. However, too many obstacles face the event which is to be held in June in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Now, it is being called a “boondoggle,” though the competition may be great for viewers on television. Things are so bad that FIFA is now cutting back on its hopes for the event, and that could cost American cities, which has sunk large

Some demonstrate for this right I recently watched a legal show from the past in which a physician was placed on trial for increasing the dosage of a pain medication that resulted in a patient’s death. It was from about 30 years ago, but the issue is even more at the fore of discussion that it was years ago. Almost a dozen states have passed legislation that will allow people to terminate their lives when pain from a deadly disease is wracking their existence. A recent poll n

JFK and Jackie on election night, 1960 While he tried very hard to change his public vision regarding other religions in his later years, the evangelist Billy Graham is prevented from doing so by his personal history that revealed serious bias. Graham has been accused of being anti-Catholic and anti-semitic, and some factual information over the years has illustrted that he practiced both of those in his early days in the public eye. So, taking a look at history will show tha

“Pope John Paul II calls Iraq War a Defeat for Humanity” “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” The words of Jesus Christ in the New Testament are intended to teach people how to live their lives. The Ten Commandments tell us what not to do, the words of Jesus tell us how to do that. Thus, the words that we are hearing uttered right now because of the condemnation of Pope Leo with the war in Iran are those about peacemakers. These are containe

Carmie and I in 2017 after Jerry Roberts' funeral Some people are very special, and Carmie (DeMatteis) Martynuska was one of them. Without a doubt, waiting for an organ transplant can be one of the most frustrating emotional points in any person’s life. Not just for the potential recipient, but also for the entire family. Such was the case for Art Martynuska as he battled back from serious heart disease until he was ultimately told that the only action that would save his lif

Thomas Wolfe was wrong with his posthumous memoir entitled “You Can’t Go Home Again.” I have returned to the Allegheny Mountains and have experienced some joy, albeit for just a month. I have even renamed my tutoring business, “English Tutoring from the Alleghenies.” https://www.hughbradyconradjr.com In truth, I used to think of 80 as old. Not any more. While I am not there yet, I have experienced many blessings in my life. Today, I have returned my workouts on my Nordic Trac