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81-759: When asked his name and rank in Colorado Kill Zone, he replied, "Bolan, Mack Samuel, Master Sergeant ". Bolan, born in 1939 and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts , is of Welsh-Polish heritage and is the eldest of the three children of steelworker Samuel Bolan and his wife, Elsa. Bolan enlisted in the Army at age 18 and served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Green Beret , even though newer novels do not make any reference to this as it makes him seem too old. Bolan became an expert sniper with over 90 kills to his record, earning him

162-497: A non-profit corporation Congressionally chartered to operate as the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, has a quasi-military structure which includes the rank of master sergeant. The grade of master sergeant is below senior master sergeant and above technical sergeant . Former military enlisted personnel who held the rank of master sergeant in the United States Armed Forces may retain that rank as members of

243-576: A Mack Bolan/Executioner novel or a spin-off novel for the Able Team, Phoenix Force, or Stony Man series. In 1985, Gesture Press published Canadian poet Mark Laba's The Mack Bolan Poems , inspired by Pendleton's Jersey Guns . In 1993, Innovation Publishing released a three-issue comic book miniseries, Mack Bolan: The Executioner . In 2008, a five-issue comic book miniseries was released by IDW Publishing titled "Don Pendleton's The Executioner: The Devil's Tools", starring Mack Bolan. Issues were released on

324-639: A Mateo Vázquez . Viaje del Parnaso , or Journey to Parnassus , is his most ambitious verse work, an allegory that consists largely of reviews of contemporary poets. He published a number of dramatic works, including ten extant full-length plays: He also wrote eight short farces ( entremeses ): These plays and short farces, except for Trato de Argel and La Numancia , made up Ocho Comedias y ocho entreméses nuevos, nunca representados ( Eight Comedies and Eight New Interludes, Never Before Performed ), which appeared in 1615. The dates and order of composition of Cervantes's short farces are unknown. Faithful to

405-516: A battalion or higher level headquarters. General command leadership at this paygrade is provided by the separate rank of first sergeant. Only in the Marine Corps are master sergeants required to be addressed by their full rank. In the Marine Corps, master sergeants may be referred to by the nickname of "Top". This usage is an informal one, however, and would not be used in an official or formal setting. Use of this nickname by Marines of subordinate rank

486-425: A brigade-level section noncommissioned officer in charge and serves as the subject matter expert in their field, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit. The equivalent-grade first sergeant is the senior noncommissioned officer of a company, battery, or troop. When holding the position of first sergeant, while uncommon, the master sergeant is referred to as "first sergeant"; however, when not in

567-747: A common way for Catholics to gain spiritual merit. It is generally accepted Cervantes died on 22 April 1616 (NS; the Gregorian calendar had superseded the Julian in 1582 in Spain and some other countries); the symptoms described, including intense thirst, correspond to diabetes , then untreatable. In accordance with his will, Cervantes was buried in the Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians , in central Madrid. His remains went missing when moved during rebuilding work at

648-472: A conventional pastoral romance that received little contemporary notice; despite promising to write a sequel, he never did so. Aside from these, and some poems, by 1605, Cervantes had not been published for 20 years. In Don Quixote , he challenged a form of literature that had been a favourite for more than a century, explicitly stating his purpose was to undermine 'vain and empty' chivalric romances . His portrayal of real life, and use of everyday speech in

729-613: A heart attack that forced him to leave his job at the steel mill. Unable to work, with bills piling up, Bolan's father was forced to borrow money from Triangle Industrial Finance ("TIF"), a savings-and-loan outfit known around town as a loansharking operation controlled by the family of Don Sergio Frenchi, the godfather of the Mafia in western Massachusetts. The people at TIF caused the elder Bolan countless problems with their payment demands. On one occasion, their enforcers dislocated his arm as punishment for missing one loan payment, warning him that

810-452: A literary context was considered innovative, and proved instantly popular. First published in January 1605, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza featured in masquerades held to celebrate the birth of Philip IV on 8 April. He finally achieved a degree of financial security, while its popularity led to demands for a sequel. In the foreword to his 1613 work, Novelas ejemplares , dedicated to his patron,

891-504: A long poem, the Viaje del Parnaso ( Journey to Parnassus ); and Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses ( Eight Plays and Eight Interludes ). The novel Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda ( The Travails of Persiles and Sigismunda ), was published posthumously in 1616. The cave of Medrano (also known as the casa de Medrano) in Argamasilla de Alba, which has been known since the beginning of

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972-482: A monthly basis. It was written by Doug Wojtowicz and illustrated by SI. Gallant. It was announced August 2014 that Shane Salerno , Hollywood producer and screenwriter has optioned the Executioner Mack Bolan Series of action/adventure novels for a film franchise, and Bradley Cooper will be portraying Bolan in a film version of the book series with Todd Phillips attached as director, but it looks like

1053-555: A narrative tradition that includes Homer , Dante , Defoe , Dickens , Balzac , and Joyce . Sigmund Freud claimed he learnt Spanish to read Cervantes in the original; he particularly admired The Dialogue of the Dogs ( El coloquio de los perros ), from Exemplary Tales , in which two dogs, Cipión and Berganza, share their stories; as one talks, the other listens, occasionally making comments. From 1871 to 1881, Freud and his close friend Eduard Silberstein wrote letters to each other, using

1134-714: A position in the household of Giulio Acquaviva , an Italian bishop who spent 1568 to 1569 in Madrid, and was appointed Cardinal in 1570. When the 1570 to 1573 Ottoman–Venetian War began, Spain formed part of the Holy League , a coalition formed to support the Venetian Republic . Possibly seeing an opportunity to have his arrest warrant rescinded, Cervantes went to Naples , then part of the Crown of Aragon . The military commander in Naples

1215-437: A prostitute. Johnny Bolan, Mack's younger brother, learned about it from a schoolmate who taunted him about it, resulting in a fight that Johnny lost. When Johnny found Cindy servicing a client in a motel room, he blew the whistle to his father ... an act that resulted in the elder Bolan's striking him. When Cindy's father confronted her, she admitted to her work, expressing her fear for his health and welfare. For Sam Bolan, it

1296-506: A public ceremony in June 2015. No authenticated portrait of Cervantes is known to exist. The one most often associated with the author is attributed to Juan de Jáuregui , but both names were added at a later date. The El Greco painting in the Museo del Prado , known as Retrato de un caballero desconocido ( Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman ), is cited as 'possibly' depicting Cervantes, but there

1377-536: A single chevron, on top of the five lower stripes. The single chevron above visually identifies Senior NCO status for E-7 master sergeants along with two chevrons above for E-8 senior master sergeants and three chevrons above for E-9 chief master sergeants in the Air Force NCO insignia. In 2015, the Air Force announced its promotion overhaul and newly established boards for master sergeant. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP),

1458-402: A small boat used for assaulting enemy galleys. The Marquesa lost 40 dead, and 120 wounded, including Cervantes, who received three separate wounds, two in the chest, and another that rendered his left arm useless, this last wound is the reason why he later was called " El Manco de Lepanto " (English: "The one-handed man of Lepanto", "The one-armed man of Lepanto"), a title that followed him for

1539-400: Is at the rank holder's discretion. In the U.S. Armed Forces, all master sergeants (Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps) are senior non-commissioned officers (i.e., pay grades E-7 through E-9). However, in the U.S. Marine Corps, the non-commissioned officer ranks of staff sergeant and above, are classified as Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs), a classification that is unique in U.S. usage to

1620-687: Is below Senior master sergeant and above Technical sergeant . As of February 8, 2019, a new ranking classification for the Philippine National Police was adopted, eliminating confusion of old ranks. Master sergeant is one of the new classification for non-commissioned officer rank. The rank stands above the Police Staff sergeant and below the Police Senior master sergeant . In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), master sergeant

1701-417: Is no evidence for this. It has been suggested that the portrait The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest , also by El Greco, may possibly depict Cervantes. However, The Prado itself, while mentioning, in passing, that "specific names have been proposed for the sitter, including that of Cervantes", and even "that the painting could be a self-portrait [of El Greco]", goes on to state that "Without doubt,

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1782-499: Is no wide following for the view that Cervantes had converso origins. Cuban writer Roberto Echevarría asserts that the claims of Cervantes' converso origins are based on "very flimsy evidence", namely Cervantes' lack of social and financial progression in a time when such rewards were denied to most Spaniards regardless of social group. It is generally accepted Miguel de Cervantes was born around 29 September 1547, in Alcalá de Henares . He

1863-575: Is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries. The רב-סמל ראשון ‎ rav samal rishon (abbreviated " rasar ", master sergeant) is a non-commissioned officer ( נגדים ‎) rank in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Because the IDF is an integrated force, they have a unique rank structure. IDF ranks are the same in all services (army, navy and air force). The ranks are derived from those of

1944-610: Is the highest rank amongst the specialist corps, ranking above staff sergeant and below third warrant officer . In the Singapore Army , master sergeants are usually instructors, staff specialists, or sergeants major of battalion or company-sized units. They are addressed as "master" or "master sergeant". In the National Cadet Corps (NCC) , the rank of master sergeant is awarded to outstanding NCC cadets who have contributed greatly to their unit. The insignia of MSG (NCC)

2025-509: Is the same as the SAF's, except that the letters 'NCC' are below the insignia, to differentiate SAF and NCC master sergeants. Master sergeant is a senior non-commissioned officer rank used within the United States Armed Forces by the United States Army , Marine Corps , Air Force , and Space Force . It is ranked differently depending on the service branch. The Civil Air Patrol also has

2106-522: Is the world's largest digital archive of Spanish-language historical and literary works. As listed in Complete Works of Miguel de Cervantes : Cervantes is generally considered a mediocre poet; few of his poems survive. Some appear in La Galatea , while he also wrote Dos Canciones à la Armada Invencible . His sonnets include Al Túmulo del Rey Felipe en Sevilla , Canto de Calíope and Epístola

2187-661: Is yet to be proven and no evidence has been published on the matter. By 1580, Spain was occupied with integrating Portugal , and suppressing the Dutch Revolt , while the Ottomans were at war with Persia ; the two sides agreed a truce, leading to an improvement of relations. After almost five years, and four escape attempts, in 1580 Cervantes was set free by the Trinitarians , a religious charity that specialised in ransoming Christian captives , and returned to Madrid. While Cervantes

2268-559: The Civil War , emphasized the importance of senior NCOs closely advising and instructing newly commissioned second lieutenants , first lieutenants and captains . In 1920, the Army combined several regimental level "staff" NCO ranks, including four grades of sergeant major, three grades of quartermaster sergeant, regimental supply sergeant, senior ordnance sergeant, senior band sergeant, four grades of senior master sergeant, and seven additional master-level technical and specialist ranks into

2349-565: The Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Lepanto . This landmark sea battle, the most significant naval conflict since the Roman Battle of Actium (32 B.C.), stopped Muslim incursion into Europe, and for the first time allowed European Christians to feel that they were not to be overrun by Islam. According to his own account, although suffering from malaria, Cervantes was given command of a 12-man skiff ,

2430-629: The "purchase". He would use the rifle to kill the TIF loansharks, marking the beginning of his war against the Mafia. After 38 bloody campaigns against the Mafia, Bolan became the leader of the Stony Man organization in the "Super Bolan" book titled Stony Man Doctrine , working with Able Team, Phoenix Force, Hal Brognola, April Rose, Aaron (The Bear) Kurtzman, and Jack Grimaldi. After the KGB attempted to destroy Stony Man and

2511-432: The 17th century, and according to the tradition of Argamasilla de Alba, was the prison of Don Miguel de Cervantes and the place where he conceived and began to write his famous work " Don Quixote de la Mancha ". Despite his subsequent renown, much of Cervantes' life is uncertain, including his name, background and what he looked like. Although he signed himself Cerbantes , his printers used Cervantes , which became

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2592-691: The CAP. On February 1, 2021, the United States Space Force announced its permanent rank structure, establishing the grade of master sergeant as its permanent E-7 grade. This continued its usage from the Air Force. The grade of master sergeant is above technical sergeant and beneath senior master sergeant . Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( / s ɜːr ˈ v æ n t iː z , - t ɪ z / sur- VAN -teez, -⁠tiz ; Spanish: [miˈɣel de θeɾˈβantes saaˈβeðɾa] ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS )

2673-610: The Civic Hospital at Messina , Sicily. Although he returned to service in July 1572 in the Tercio de Figueroa , records show his chest wounds were still not completely healed in February 1573. Based mainly in Naples, he joined expeditions to Corfu and Navarino , and took part in the 1573 occupation of Tunis and La Goulette , which were recaptured by the Ottomans in 1574. Despite Lepanto,

2754-519: The Count of Lemos, Cervantes promises to produce one, but was pre-empted by an unauthorised version published in 1614, published under the name Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda . It is possible this delay was deliberate, to ensure support from his publisher and reading public; Cervantes finally produced the second part of Don Quixote in 1615. The two parts of Don Quixote are different in focus, but similar in their clarity of prose and their realism. The first

2835-477: The Mafia, Bolan used a variety of weapons. His primary long gun was the .460 Weatherby Mark V , which he obtained from Nicholas "Nick Trigger" Woods, a top Mafia hitman sent to kill him. For a sidearm, he used a silenced Beretta Brigadier , which he nicknamed "Belle" and carried in a vertical shoulder rig. His trademark weapon was "Big Thunder", a stainless steel .44 AutoMag that he usually wore on his hip. The Brigadier and AutoMag have since been supplanted by

2916-468: The Mafia. He holds current lover, Barbara Price, at arm's length out of fear she, like Val and April, will be threatened, harmed, or killed. In each book, Bolan usually has sex with a different woman. He prefers the gutsy type who are not apt to run away when shot at, which explains his deep affection for Querente, federal agent Toby Ranger, and April Rose. In one novel, a woman with whom he was working claimed that he liked his women "barefoot, pregnant and in

2997-535: The President of the United States. Frequently, Bolan returns to Stony Man to lead the agency on missions. Bolan has been in love only twice. His first lover was Valentina "Val" Querente, whom he met when he first went up against the mob. He broke off their relationship after she and Johnny Bolan had been kidnapped. His second love was federal agent April Rose, whom he met during the first of his final campaigns against

3078-966: The USMC. The seventh enlisted grade, ranking above technical sergeant and below senior master sergeant . It is abbreviated as MSgt . Advancement to master sergeant is one of the most significant promotions within the enlisted Air Force and Space Force. At the rank of master sergeant, the airman enters the senior non-commissioned tier and transitions his or her duties from front line technicians and supervisors to operational leaders. An operational leader develops his or her leadership and management skills since this rank carries increased broad leadership, supervisory, and managerial responsibilities rather than technical performance. Per Air Force Instruction 36–2618, master sergeants do serve in positions as squadron superintendents, flight chiefs, section chiefs, and non-commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC). Air Force first sergeants occupy

3159-457: The affairs of his recently deceased friend and minor poet, Pedro Laínez. There he met Catalina de Salazar y Palacios ( c.  1566 – 1626 ), eldest daughter of the widowed Catalina de Palacios; her husband died leaving only debts, but the elder Catalina owned some land of her own. This may be why in December 1584, Cervantes married her daughter, then between 15 and 18 years old. The first use of

3240-563: The colonies appear in his work. From 1596 to 1600, he lived primarily in Seville, then returned to Madrid in 1606, where he remained for the rest of his life. In later years, he received some financial support from the Count of Lemos , although he was not included in the retinue Lemos took to Naples when appointed Viceroy in 1608. In July 1613, he joined the Third Order Franciscans , then

3321-550: The common form. In later life, Cervantes used Saavedra , the name of a distant relative, rather than the more usual Cortinas , after his mother. Historian Luce López-Baralt claimed that it comes from the word shaibedraa that in Arabic dialect means "one-handed", his nickname during his captivity. Another area of dispute is his religious background. It has been suggested that not only Cervantes' father but also his mother may have been New Christians . Anthony Cascardi writes, "While

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3402-480: The convent in 1673, and in 2014, historian Fernando de Prado launched a project to rediscover them. In January 2015, Francisco Etxeberria, the forensic anthropologist leading the search, reported the discovery of caskets containing bone fragments, and part of a board, with the letters 'M.C.'. Based on evidence of injuries suffered at Lepanto, on 17 March 2015 they were confirmed as belonging to Cervantes along with his wife and others. They were formally reburied at

3483-500: The current favorites, the Beretta 93R and .44 Magnum Desert Eagle , though Bolan has demonstrated facility with any pistol or rifle he comes across, and often carries a knife. Mack Bolan books are currently divided into three series: Executioner ("Mack Bolan"), Super Bolan, and Stony Man. In France, a new spin-off series, Kira B., featuring Mack Bolan's "daughter" Kira, was introduced by the publisher Vauvenargues , in 2012. Written under

3564-644: The death of April Rose, Bolan left the organization to resume his solo war against evil...this time adding the KGB to his hit list. It was during this war that he was framed by the mob for the murder of a prostitute in McLary County, Texas, resulting in Bolan's being tried for his extra-legal activities. Bolan currently works on his own at arm's length from the clandestine agency Stony Man . He occasionally takes missions from Stony Man's director and personal friend, Hal Brognola, and

3645-453: The fact that Spanish is often referred to as "the language of Cervantes". In 1569, Cervantes was forced to leave Spain and move to Rome , where he worked in the household of a cardinal . In 1570, he enlisted in a Spanish Navy infantry regiment, and was badly wounded at the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571 and lost the use of his left arm and hand. He served as a soldier until 1575, when he

3726-577: The family disappears until 1564 when he filed a lawsuit in Seville . Seville was then in the midst of an economic boom, and Rodrigo managed rented accommodation for his elder brother Andres, who was a junior magistrate. It is contended that Cervantes attended the Jesuit college in Seville, where one of the teachers was Jesuit playwright Pedro Pablo Acevedo, who moved there in 1561 from Córdoba. However, legal records show his father got into debt once more and in 1566

3807-450: The family might have had some claim to nobility they often found themselves in financial straits. Moreover, they may have been of converso origin, that is, converts to Catholicism of Jewish ancestry. In the Spain of Cervantes' days, this meant living under clouds of official suspicion and social mistrust, with far more limited opportunities than were enjoyed by members of the 'Old Christian' caste." According to Charles D. Presberg, there

3888-443: The family moved to Madrid . In the 19th century, a biographer discovered an arrest warrant for a Miguel de Cervantes, dated 15 September 1569, who was charged with wounding Antonio de Sigura in a duel. Although disputed at the time, largely on the grounds such behaviour was unworthy of so great an author, it is now accepted as the most likely reason for Cervantes leaving Madrid. He eventually made his way to Rome, where he found

3969-623: The kitchen". Bolan replied, "No, I like them alive". In his spare time, he likes extreme sports, such as canoeing several rivers in flood stage. He typically likes to spend his spare time with Barbara Price. He is very literate. This is shown at the beginning of each novel, where Bolan gives his interpretation/response to a quote from a book, author, or famous person. He frequently reads Miguel de Cervantes ' masterwork Don Quixote . In addition to his native language, English, Bolan speaks Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and passable German, and can understand many other languages. Throughout his war against

4050-719: The most convincing suggestion has connected this figure with the Second Marquis of Montemayor, Juan de Silva y de Ribera, a contemporary of El Greco who was appointed military commander of the Alcázar in Toledo by Philip II and Chief Notary to the Crown, a position that would explain the solemn gesture of the hand, depicted in the act of taking an oath." The portrait by Luis de Madrazo , at the Biblioteca Nacional de España , painted in 1859,

4131-474: The name Cervantes Saavedra appears in 1586, on documents related to their marriage. Shortly before this, his illegitimate daughter Isabel was born in November. Her mother, Ana Franca, was the wife of a Madrid innkeeper; they apparently concealed it from her husband, but Cervantes acknowledged paternity. When Ana Franca died in 1598, he asked his sister Magdalena to take care of his daughter. In 1587, Cervantes

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4212-416: The new master sergeant rank. Master sergeant then became the senior enlisted rank, ranking above technical sergeant and first sergeant (a positional rank/title for the senior technical sergeant in a company/battery/troop), while "sergeant major" became a "courtesy title" for the senior master sergeant in a battalion/squadron or higher headquarters. In 1942, the rank of first sergeant was elevated one grade and

4293-475: The nickname "The Executioner". For all his lethal capability, Bolan was deeply compassionate and became known as "Sgt. Mercy", because of the aid he often gave to Vietnamese civilians and others who needed help. During his service in the Vietnam War , Bolan became highly adept at penetration and intelligence gathering, guerrilla warfare and became a skilled armorer. During Bolan's second tour, his father suffered

4374-574: The operations chief of a weapons company, in place of the gunnery sergeant found in the company headquarters of a rifle company. Infantry master sergeants also serve as the assistant operations chief in the S-3 section of the headquarters of an infantry regiment and Marine Expeditionary Unit and in the G-3 section of the headquarters of a Marine Expeditionary Brigade. The Marine division and Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters contains two infantry master sergeants, one as

4455-740: The other as the section leader of the company headquarters AMTRAC Section). In Marine aircraft squadrons MSgts usually serve as SNCOICs of the ordnance and avionics divisions in the aircraft maintenance department. The Aircraft Maintenance Chief/SNCOIC is usually a MGySgt (q.v.) , and there are eight aviation-related MSgt billets in each Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) . (A MALs is organic to each Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) and performs intermediate aviation supply, aircraft maintenance (including aviation life support equipment and avionics), and aviation ordnance support for its supported aircraft squadrons.) Most non-infantry master sergeants serve as section chief/SNCOIC of their MOS type staff section in

4536-817: The paramilitary Haganah developed in the British Mandate of Palestine period to protect the Yishuv . This origin is reflected in the slightly compacted IDF rank structure . Master sergeant is used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a non-commissioned officer rank. It is used by the Philippine Army , Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Marine Corps (under the Philippine Navy . The rank

4617-407: The pay grades of E-7 through E-9 and are referred to officially as "first sergeant" regardless of pay grade, and unofficially as "first shirt" or "shirt". In 1991, the Air Force changed its NCO insignia so that a maximum of five stripes, or rockers, were placed on the bottom of the chevrons. The master sergeant rank insignia was changed by removing the bottom (sixth) rocker, and relocating it above as

4698-408: The pen name Steven Belly, the series follows the adventures of Kira, a young woman who appeared in L'Exécuteur nº300: Le réseau Phénix , where she manipulated Mack Bolan to come out of retirement to fight against cyber-criminals. Since then, she has helped her "father" in his fight against crime and now is the heroine of her own, eponymous series, which includes the following titles: A publishing deal

4779-485: The pen names Cipión and Berganza. In 1905, the tricentennial of the publication of Don Quixote was marked with celebrations in Spain; the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016, saw the production of Cervantina , a celebration of his plays by the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico in Madrid. Man of La Mancha , the 1965 musical, was loosely based on Cervantes' life. The Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library ,

4860-414: The position of first sergeant, master sergeants are addressed as "sergeant". This is the standard address for all pay grades E-5 through E-8. Use of the term "top" or "master sergeant" is not a requirement, but is considered courteous, and remains to be at the discretion of the one addressing the master sergeant, though "top" is preferred, due to the long tradition of its use in the U.S. Army, which has, since

4941-501: The project was abandoned. The 1986 action movie Jake Speed is a direct takeoff-parody of Mack Bolan, who (as a character) is mentioned several times, and several Bolan books are shown alongside the Jake Speed books, in which Wayne Crawford plays the titular character, a real life version of a fictional character. In one scene, the back of a Bolan book has words changed to be a Jake Speed book. Master Sergeant A master sergeant

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5022-429: The rank of master sergeant. Master sergeant (MSG) is the eighth enlisted grade (E-8), ranking above sergeant first class and below sergeant major , command sergeant major , Sergeant Major of the Army , and equal in grade but not authority to a first sergeant . It is abbreviated as MSG and indicated by three chevrons above three inverted arcs, commonly referred to as "rockers". A master sergeant may be assigned as

5103-564: The rest of his life. His actions at Lepanto were a source of pride to the end of his life, while Don John approved no less than four separate pay increases for him. In Journey to Parnassus , published two years before his death in 1616, Cervantes claimed to have "lost the movement of the left hand for the glory of the right". As with much else, the extent of his disability is unclear, the only source being Cervantes himself, while commentators cite his habitual tendency to praise himself. However, they were serious enough to earn him six months in

5184-420: The same arm would be broken if he missed another. Mack Bolan's younger sister, Cindy Bolan, was worried about their father's safety and had secretly paid the officers at TIF a visit, in an attempt to persuade them to leave her father alone and allow her to repay the loan. In her first attempt, she turned in $ 35 a week, money she made from an after school job. When it became insufficient, TIF "suggested" she become

5265-487: The senior enlisted rank at the new pay grade of E-9. The eighth enlisted grade, ranking above gunnery sergeant and below master gunnery sergeant , sergeant major , and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps . It is equal in grade to first sergeant , and is abbreviated MSgt . In the U.S. Marine Corps, master sergeants provide technical leadership as occupational specialists at the E-8 level. Most infantry master sergeants serve as

5346-421: The training SNCO and the other as the readiness chief. Some combat support battalions have master sergeants at the company level (e.g., one as the tank leader, again replacing the company gunnery sergeant, in the operations section of the tank company headquarters, and two in the company headquarters of an assault amphibian company, one master sergeant as the company gunnery sergeant in the headquarters section and

5427-504: The war overall was an Ottoman victory, and the loss of Tunis a military disaster for Spain. Cervantes returned to Palermo , where he was paid off by the Duke of Sessa , who gave him letters of commendation. In early September 1575, Cervantes and Rodrigo left Naples on the galley Sol ; as they approached Barcelona on 26 September, their ship was captured by Ottoman corsairs , and the brothers taken to Algiers , to be sold as slaves , or – as

5508-609: Was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote , a work considered as the first modern novel . The novel has been labelled by many well-known authors as the "best book of all time" and the "best and most central work in world literature". Much of his life was spent in relative poverty and obscurity, which led to many of his early works being lost. Despite this, his influence and literary contribution are reflected by

5589-488: Was a resourceful individual with a keen eye for business. When Rodrigo was imprisoned for debt from October 1553 to April 1554, she supported the family on her own. Cervantes' siblings were Andrés (born 1543), Andrea (born 1544), Luisa (born 1546), Rodrigo (born 1550), Magdalena (born 1554) and Juan. They lived in Córdoba until 1556, when his grandfather died. For reasons that are unclear, Rodrigo did not benefit from his will and

5670-580: Was appointed as a government purchasing agent, Commissary of the Royal Galleons in Seville, obtaining wheat and oil for the doomed Spanish Armada . He became a tax collector in 1592 and was briefly jailed for 'irregularities' in his accounts, but quickly released. Several applications for positions in Spanish America were rejected i.e. to the Council of Indies in 1590, though modern critics note images of

5751-433: Was based on his imagination. The image that appears on Spanish euro coins of €0.10, €0.20 and €0.50 is based on a bust, created in 1905. Cervantes claimed to have written over 20 plays, such as El trato de Argel , based on his experiences in captivity. Such works were extremely short-lived, and even Lope de Vega , the best-known playwright of the day, could not live on their proceeds. In 1585, he published La Galatea ,

5832-419: Was captured by Barbary pirates ; after five years in captivity, he was ransomed, and returned to Madrid . His first significant novel, titled La Galatea , was published in 1585, but he continued to work as a purchasing agent, and later as a government tax collector . Part One of Don Quixote was published in 1605, and Part Two in 1615. Other works include the 12 Novelas ejemplares ( Exemplary Novels );

5913-559: Was in captivity, both Don John and the Duke of Sessa died, depriving him of two potential patrons, while the Spanish economy was in dire straits. This made finding employment difficult; other than a period in 1581 to 1582, when he was employed as an intelligence agent in North Africa, little is known of his movements prior to 1584. In April of that year, Cervantes visited Esquivias , to help arrange

5994-505: Was made for e-book versions of Don Pendleton's original 37-volume series with Open Road Media. Pendleton's only Mack Bolan Short Story, "Willing To Kill", written in 1978, is now in print. Linda Pendleton also issued a hardcover history of the Executioner, celebrating the character's 50th Anniversary in 2019, called "The Executioner: Don Pendleton Creates Mack Bolan". Here is a comprehensive list of authors who have at one point in time written

6075-559: Was more comic, and had greater popular appeal. The second part is often considered more sophisticated and complex, with a greater depth of characterisation and philosophical insight. In addition to this, he produced a series of works between 1613 and his death in 1616. They include a collection of tales titled Exemplary Novels . This was followed by Viaje del Parnaso , Eight Comedies and Eight New Interludes , and Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda , completed just before his death, and published posthumously in January 1617. Cervantes

6156-545: Was rediscovered by English writers in the mid-18th century. The literary editor John Bowle argued that Cervantes was as significant as any of the Greek and Roman authors then popular, and published an annotated edition in 1781. Now viewed as a significant work, at the time it proved a failure. However, Don Quixote has been translated into all major languages, in 700 editions. Mexican author Carlos Fuentes suggested that Cervantes and his contemporary William Shakespeare form part of

6237-556: Was the case of Cervantes and his brother – held for ransom, if this would be more lucrative than their sale as slaves. Rodrigo was ransomed in 1577, but his family could not afford the fee for Cervantes, who was forced to remain. Turkish historian Rasih Nuri İleri found evidence suggesting Cervantes worked on the construction of the Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex , which means he spent at least part of his captivity in Istanbul . This

6318-467: Was the second son of barber-surgeon Rodrigo de Cervantes and his wife, Leonor de Cortinas ( c.  1520–1593 ). Rodrigo came from Córdoba, Andalusia , where his father Juan de Cervantes was an influential lawyer. Rodrigo was frequently in debt, or searching for work, and moved constantly. Leonor came from Arganda del Rey , and died in October 1593, at the age of 73; surviving legal documents indicate she had seven children, could read and write, and

6399-413: Was then considered as a junior version of master sergeant, because while first sergeants served as senior NCOs at the company/battery/troop level, master sergeants held positions as the senior NCO in their MOS at battalion/squadron and higher level headquarters. In 1958, both first sergeant and master sergeant were elevated one grade to the new E-8 pay grade, while the rank of sergeant major was restored as

6480-488: Was too much. He snapped and turned a Smith & Wesson .45 on his family and then himself. Johnny Bolan was the only survivor of the murder-suicide. A few days later, Bolan was notified of the tragedy by an Army chaplain and took emergency leave to visit his brother. After Johnny told him the whole story, Bolan broke into a sportsman's shop and took a high-powered Marlin .444 , a deluxe scope, some targets, and several boxes of ammunition, leaving an envelope of money to cover

6561-563: Was Álvaro de Sande, a friend of the family, who gave Cervantes a commission in the Tercio of Sicily under the Marqués de Santa Cruz . At some point, he was joined in Naples by his younger brother Rodrigo. In September 1571, Cervantes sailed on board the Marquesa , part of the Holy League fleet under Don John of Austria , illegitimate half brother of Phillip II of Spain ; on 7 October, they defeated

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