veteran’s corner

Tom Krabbenhoft

I hope you all are staying warm. We recently had 250 consecutive hours of below-zero weather. I believe it is the second longest cold streak on record for this area. A small historical perspective on the weather: This cold streak was the same as what the German and Russian troops endured during the Battle of Stalingrad. Napoleon’s attack on Russia, and then his retreat, also happened during similar weather. Imagine, if you will, trying to stay warm and  fight in these elements 24/7. Weather alone can sometimes be the greatest weapon an army can face.

In keeping with Black History Month, here’s another interesting tidbit.

One of the most successful films of 2018 was “Black Panther.” It’s based on a Marvel comic book set in the fictional Kingdom of Wakanda under King T’Challa. Who wasn’t dazzled by the female warriors with the shaved heads who fiercely protected the Kingdom and king? In the movie they were called Dora Milaje. In real life they were the Nomiton from the former nation of Dahomey now Benin. Yes, the female warriors in the movie were closely historically based and dressed very similar.

The Dahomey Amazons, as Europeans called them, were active from the 1600s to early 1900s. They were chosen as teen girls and trained and groomed to be fierce loyal warriors. Sworn to protect the king, they sometimes numbered in the thousands.

The troops had a forced vow of celibacy. When they marched through the city, the populace was required to turn their backs. Any contact with anyone outside the ranks was forbidden. Their virtue was even off limits to the king. (You can imagine how a single or multiple pregnancies would throw royal succession amuck.)

The Dahomey kingdom was known as “Black Sparta.” It was highly involved in the lucrative and dangerous slave trade. This involved many of the male population spread out over a large area. This left a opening for the women to fill warrior roles.

The Dahomey Amazons were the longest standing female military unit in history. They held the line over 300 years. If any doubt exists about their martial arts accumen and bravery, let’s dispense with that right now. One French observer reported a group of 20 Dahomey Amazons attacked a herd of 40 wild Elephants. They felled three elephants, even though several of their ranks were trampled and gored.

When the French invaded in the 1890s, the Amazons faced off against them – the French Foreign Legion, one of the most elite units in the world. Despite the women warrios inferior weapons, they impressed the French with their bravery. That, my friends, is respect hard earned. 

Veteran of the Week

Our Veteran of the week is Rick Kuhn. He served in the North Dakota Army National Guard over 20 years as a 62E, heavy equipment operator. He was deployed to Iraq in 2003-04. He owns and operates Veterans Pest Control. He also serves as the VFW 762 commander.

Thanks for your service, Rick.

To submit a veteran or comments, please email me: 11btwk@gmail.com.