Happy New Year! Cheers for a mild winter so far and a bright outlook for 2023! Here are my goals: Read more. My Google spreadsheet lists nearly 100 books I read/ listened to while walking in 2022 (I use my library's Libby app). Raising the bar is ambitious but exciting. 2. Take more time for... Continue Reading →
US Navy Blue Angels Rock Dayton Air Show
Whew! The last couple of weeks have been fantastic with family home to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary. I’ve never regretted marrying John in 1980. He’s always been such a blessing to me and our children. ** Jay Wertz and I stand at our booth filled with WWII books we've authored. Another highlight was attending... Continue Reading →
Daughter Grieves for Father Lost From WWII
Seaman Joseph Wojciechowski sits atop a military vehicle while at sea in S. Pacific. He wouldn't survive his mission. In tribute to the day on which we honor the sacrifices of 645,000 American men and women who have lost their lives in service to their country, I’m posting a story from my book, It Was... Continue Reading →
Father’s Day — Tribute to WWII Vet Fathers
Happy Father’s Day! Is it any wonder I love horses with this photo of me and Dad? It’s great to live in a country that honors its fathers. Here is one of my favorite photos of me with my dad as a little girl. I have always loved horses and I’m sure it was Dad’s... Continue Reading →
Young Girl Celebrates First ‘Victory in Europe’ Day in Hospital
Eileen McShane and her brother, William suffered hardships like most British people, during WWII. Today, in one of the Facebook groups I belong to that discusses the 1940s, people were asking what others were doing to show appreciation for VE Day. May 8, 1945 -- The date when the war in Europe was officially over... Continue Reading →
A Daughter Shares Thoughts of Her Mom — a WASP during WWII
May is a big military month – Armed Forces Day happens on the 15th and of course, Memorial Day on May 31st. Margaret Ray Ringenberg served with the Women's Air Service Pilots during WWII. Both are great opportunities to remember what our military has done for our country. But, actually, the whole month of May... Continue Reading →
Running from the Enemy
As a refugee, Johannes Klaffke was forced to leave many things behind, including the few childhood photos his family possessed. It's dreadful to experience war, but how much worse for children. Johannes Klaffke's entire story is told in It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of WWII While interviewing WWII vets over a... Continue Reading →
Attack at Pearl Harbor From a Child’s Point of View – Part 1
This is the first of a 3-part series of excerpted stories about the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor that occurred on December 7, 1941. They are all stories from people I’ve interviewed. Their stories are published in the books listed. ** Charlotte Butterfield Schnieders lived in Honolulu as a preschooler when the Japanese bombed Pearl... Continue Reading →
The Young Suffered Mental Illness During WWII
A recent post by Joan Stewart, a book marketing expert who titles herself ‘Publicity Hound’ because she also loves dogs and includes a vid about them in her newsletters, prompted this post about the topic of mental illness. Caption: Bombed-out homes confronted civilians everywhere in Europe during WWII. Photo by WWII vet Keith McComb. A... Continue Reading →