A Screaming Eagles Update
Hello friends and supporters of the 101st Airborne Division!
It’s probably been a while since you received any updates from us. I apologize for the radio silence, but I hope you are doing well and staying safe despite the challenges the world is currently facing.
A few months ago, I discovered the website platform we moved to last year did not allow me to send email updates without paying additional fees, so the only way you would know about new articles here was by visiting the website on your own. Then to make matters worse, the monthly rates have increased for no reason, like every other app and platform, thus stretching my personal budget to the point where it’s no longer affordable. With the American economy as bad as it is and no end in sight to rising prices, I had to make a decision between shutting down this project or switching back to Substack since it’s free.
Because Jos Groen and I have put in so much work trying to honor the Screaming Eagle’s legacies, I decided to compromise on my beliefs rather than let these men’s heroic deeds fade away into nothing.
Some of you may recall I left this platform due to its controversial stance on freedom of speech, one that allows fascist or racist ideologies to be shared online here. Like most people, I fully support the rights to free speech and expression, but there comes a time when we should question how far to let it go before drawing a line in the sand.
It felt wrong to continue to publish where such hatred was allowed and unchecked, especially when the men we write about fought against such things in World War II. Therefore I moved this content to a new platform.
Most of our readers supported the move, while a few responded eloquentially, encouraging me to stand my ground here because hate speech will never cease to exist anyway, to which I sadly agree. They made a valid point in that having good, positive publications helps combat those that are negative.
That being said, this website is now back on Substack and will remain that way as long as possible. The only difference is the URL or website address is now 101stairbornedivision.org.
The updside besides this platform being free is that they have made some major technological improvements since we left, empowering us to do more with our publication and content. This makes me excited for this project’s future. My hope is we can continue to build a valuable resource that honors those who served and who died for our freedom.
As for our Screaming Eagles store, it will be a separate website on the previous URL of 101stAirborneDivision.com, with the goal of having 100% of the net profits made from the sale of these products being used to fund wellness initiatives for those who served in this elite unit and were injured during their time of enlistment. More items will be added soon and I sincerely appreciate those of you who have already purchased t-shirts and other gifts in the past.
If you have questions or concerns, I’m happy to respond, and if you decide to unsubcribe due to another transition, I understand. Please know this was not something taken lightly but I hope you will continue to be a part of this community.
Thank you for your time and support!
James Dalman, U.S. Army Veteran and Publisher