Military Officer - November 2006 - (Page 22)

rapidfire Giving the Smart Way In Review Through a Howling Wilderness: Benedict Arnold’s March to Quebec, 1775 By Thomas A. Desjardin. St. Martin’s Press, 2006. $24.95. ISBN 0-312-33904-6. more decisive victories in the Revolutionary War. Ivan’s War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-45 By Catherine Merridale. Metropolitan Books, 2006. $30. ISBN 0-8050-7455-4. T he following tips can help you choose a charitable organization that will make the most of your donation. Learn as much as possible about a nonproﬁt’s leadership and ﬁnancial health, advises Robert Evans, philanthropy expert and Giving Institute board member. Review charities’ recent ﬁnancial statements, ﬁnd out who the group’s largest ﬁnancial supporters are, and talk with board members. If they don’t appear highly motivated or provide ﬁnancial support, run the other way. To begin your research, check out the American Institute of Philanthropy at www.charitywatch.org, Forbes magazine at www.forbes.com, GuideStar at www.guidestar .org, and The Urban Institute Center on Nonproﬁts and Philanthropy at www.urban.org/center/cnp/index.cfm. — Sarah Clark Save the Date Make plans to attend MOAA’s 2006 Annual Meeting. Sign up now for the signature series Capital Event Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Doubletree Hotel in Arlington, Va. Highlights include information-packed seminars and the opportunity to find out what’s happening with MOAA. 22 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2006 Benedict Arnold might have turned traitor in 1780, but in 1775 he was an ardent patriot and hero known for his remarkable (and forlorn) expedition through Maine to attack Quebec. Maine historian Thomas A. Desjardin tells the story of Arnold’s audacious plan to lead a thousand soldiers through Maine’s wilderness to attack Quebec by surprise in an attempt to make it a 14th colony. This is a fascinating tale of bold but poorly executed plans, as Arnold and his men traveled by boat and on foot and suffered from starvation and disease. Arnold and only 500 men ﬁnally reached Quebec, where they bravely assaulted the fortiﬁed city, only to be defeated and dispersed. This is an excellent story of courage, determination, and strong leadership, and Desjardin also provides insight into how Arnold’s defeat led to The Red Army was never an army of the cheerful, patriotic proletariat as portrayed in propaganda newsreels, according to award-winning historian Catherine Merridale. This is a stark history of what the Soviet Union’s army was really like during World War II, with Soviet bureaucratic secrecy removed to reveal an army of starving, ill-equipped, poorly led peasants who wanted to live but were expected to die for their motherland. Merridale tells of the army’s savage discipline, indifferent leadership, battleﬁeld panic, mutinies, looting, widespread desertion, and cruelty toward its enemies, its allies, and “liberated” peoples. Merridale exposes the shameful and complete failure of Joseph Stalin and the communist system to meet even the most basic needs of the soldiers and their families. — William D. Bushnell IMAGES: CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT, JAMES P. BLAIR/ GETTY IMAGES; ROSE RICHEY; STEVE BARRETT http://www.charitywatch.org http://www.guidestar.org http://www.forbes.com http://www.guidestar.org http://www.urban.org/center/cnp/index.cfm

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From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: Financial Guidebook Got (the right) Insurance? A Penny Saved, a Degree Earned The “Y” MOAA Scholarship Recipients Pages of History Information Exchange Member Books MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - November 2006

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