Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser
Capturing Delicious Recipes From the Past
Sometimes people want to know what happens when I interview a World War II veteran. It's a process and always a privilege. First, I allot two hours for the interview. This does not include the time it takes to drive to/from the place where the veteran lives. The two hours does include my getting set up with... Continue Reading →
I was saddened to hear of the death of a World War II vet featured in my book, World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans. Robert ‘Bob’ E. Foster, 92, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Monday, July 20, 2015. I met Bob through a friend a couple of years ago. He was... Continue Reading →
The Purple Heart has an interesting history. I’ve interviewed several WWII vets and Vietnam who have been awarded Purple Hearts. Be sure to read about the American soldier who has been awarded the most Purple Hearts!
Purple Heart patch for those wounded in WWII
On this date in 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged in silver, with the word Merit etched. It was to be presented for any one meritorious action and it permitted the wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge. The honoree’s name and regiment were to be inscribed in “The Book of Merit.”
Purple Heart certificate given during the Korean War
Only three soldiers are known to have been awarded this medal during the Revolutionary War: Elijah Churchill, William Brown and Daniel Bissell Jr. The Book of Merit was lost and the medal was virtually forgotten. In 1927, General Charles Summerall sent an unsuccessful draft bill to Congress to revive the Badge.
Patch for Afghanistan
General Douglas MacArthur took up the cause…
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Today I want to say ‘Happy birthday’ and give tribute to a World War II vet that I’m happy to call my friend. We attend the same church and usually see each other weekly, but I didn't know Don Shady well when I interviewed him about his experiences in the Army Air Corps during the... Continue Reading →
Thirteen weeks after being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, Paul Zurcher of Monroe was on the front lines of battle in Italy. He was part of the 10th Mountain Division, a machine gun squadron in which Zurcher served as the ammunition bearer. Often, while burrowed in a foxhole during battle, 19-year-old Zurcher wondered... Continue Reading →
You can tell by the expressions on our faces that World War II vets Bob Foster & Don Shady and I enjoyed our time on the air last week with talk show host Nelson Price. Nelson is the host of a long-running live history talk show —Hoosier History Live! Hoosier History Live is... Continue Reading →
My Vet of the Week is Vernon W. ‘Bun’ William Affolder of Decatur, IN. Mr. Affolder died on Monday, Jan. 20, 2014. His birthday would have been tomorrow. I interviewed him in his home three years ago. He became emotional about several parts of the war that were still very real to him. That... Continue Reading →
I’d like to recognize a vet who passed away last year. Elmo Rieddle was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943. He worked two years as a mechanic for the 486th Bomb Squadron at Sudbury England. After he was discharged at the war’s end, he was a member of the Army National Guard for... Continue Reading →
May 8, 1921-Jan 17, 2015 It is with sadness that I tell of the passing of Richard Vanderwall whose story was included in my book, World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans. I met Richard Marvin Vanderwall, Sr. when my mother introduced me to him at the location where they both lived... Continue Reading →
Today is my birthday. I live in the Midwest of the US and have sworn to myself that someday I’m going to be somewhere warm for my birthday! Right now it is 30 degrees so I know it could be worse. But I'm definitely thinking 'beach' is in a future birthday! Anyway, I have nothing... Continue Reading →
Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 