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WWII Infantryman Fought in Battle of the Bulge, Liberated Dachau

I recently visited with Millard Schwartz whom I interviewed several years ago and whose story is featured in my first book, WWII Legacies: Stories of Northeast IN Veterans. Millard is a sweet man who always has a gentle smile on his handsome face. He is a humble but brave man who fought gallantly for our... Continue Reading →

Tribute to Vietnam War Vet- Ralph Garcia

I usually post about World War II veterans but as today is National Vietnam War Veteran’s Day, I’m posting stories about a good friend, Ralph Garcia, who served in-country and continued to help veterans and his country for years afterward. Photo above is him in recent years standing in front of the Vietnam War Traveling Wall.... Continue Reading →

Saying Good-bye to 2 Special Vets

It’s part of the nature of my project of interviewing some of our nation’s eldest military veterans so I should expect it. With many of them well into their 90s, I have to face the fact that they will all someday be deceased. Still, it is hard to receive that kind of news. Recently, I... Continue Reading →

WWII Photos on Book Covers

  Being snowbound, I have the perfect opportunity to work on my next book of World War II stories. I'm lucky to already have a great book cover designer. The cover of my latest book, They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans, receives many compliments. Few people know my designer used photos from... Continue Reading →

Pearl Harbor Navy Survivor Tells His Story

In honor of the 76th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, I’m posting an excerpt from a story in my new book, They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans. My husband and I also plan to attend a local Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony. I did this... Continue Reading →

Hundreds Attend Book Launch to tell WWII Vets Thanks

Many of you participated in our book launch party for They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans on Saturday, Nov 4, 2017, at the Allen County Public Library. I think it’s safe to say, as the photo below shows, it was a smashing success! Several hundred people are estimated to have attended to meet/... Continue Reading →

Book Review: They Did It for Honor: Stories of American World War II Veterans

I’m grateful for this thorough review of my new book by this reputable group of military historians.

Int'l Historical Research Associates's avatarIHRA

They Did It for Honor book cover

Kayleen Reusser is back with her second book of World War II veterans stories. This one, They Did It for Honor: Stories of American World War II Veterans, has an aptly chosen title. Many of the veterans are quoted as saying they were proud to serve their country and considered it an honor to do so.

As with her first book, Reusser collected stories from many units and fronts, giving the reader a well-rounded picture of life in different parts of the world during World War II. Thirty-four of them, to be precise. Not only does she include stories from the Pacific, North African and European theaters, she includes a tale from the Aleutian Islands and the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater. Some of the more fascinating stories we read were about a black veteran’s experience aboard the USS Yorktown, one man who was present at the surrender signing on September…

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Sam Hayward’s duties were to clean berths aboard the USS Yorktown

Another veteran from my book, They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans, who is planning to attend the book launch is Sam Hayward. This was a different type of interview for me as he was the first black veteran I had ever interviewed. I was thrilled that Sam allowed me to talk... Continue Reading →

WOWO’s Komet Hockey Announcer Bob Chase Decoded Messages during WWII

Most of us in northern Indiana recognize the name of Bob Chase as connected with WOWO radio. For 65 years, Bob Chase was an announcer for the Komet Hockey team on WOWO radio. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Chase -- actually that was his radio name based on his wife’s maiden name --... Continue Reading →

Polly Lipscomb served as an Army Nurse in WWII

My book, They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans, contains five stories of female veterans who served during World War II. It’s not easy finding women veterans to interview as they were fewer in number than men. But the stories I’ve heard were all amazing. These gals were plucky to serve in... Continue Reading →

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