Eileen Stuckey Zeissig Served as an Army Nurse During World War II Among the 260 World War II veterans I’ve interviewed, 22 were females. It was always a thrill to discover how these young women volunteered to serve in various military branches. 'They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans' is available on... Continue Reading →
Celebrating 4th of July- America’s Independence Day
I'm crazy in love with the American flag! The 4th of July is Independence Day in the United States. This is the day we celebrate the movement of liberating ourselves from British authority. While I enjoy learning about England, I appreciate the move of our founding fathers to have us govern ourselves. Many of my... Continue Reading →
Armed Forces Day — A Time to Show Appreciation for Our Troops
Today is Armed Forces Day. This is a day when we honor all of those who have served or are serving in our American military. Gene Dettmer drove a jeep for an Army officer during WWII. My husband, John (retired Air Force) and I visited Gene Dettmer, a World War II veteran who served in... 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 →
Margie Stewart — Official Poster Girl of the U.S. Army
This excerpted story is from my book, It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of WWII. Margie's picture is also featured in my new Women of WWII Coloring Book. Both are available on Amazon. Women of WWII Coloring Book It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of WWII During World War... 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 →
“It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of World War II” Releases
Exciting news! My new book, It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of World War II, is out! This 150+-page book available on Amazon contains stories from 18 men and women whom I interviewed (with the exception of one) involved with World War II as children and teens. They grew up in the... Continue Reading →
Stories for WWII Book Include Challenges, Death-Defying Danger
I collect stories as some people collect rare books or stamps. Stories fascinate me. As a newspaper reporter and magazine writer, I had the (paid) opportunity to listen to people tell stories. I’ve literally heard 1,000s of oral histories, often from people who didn't believe they were interesting enough to have a story. I believe... Continue Reading →
‘A Lot of Misery’; Soldiers Recall Christmas during WWII
As Christmas approaches, I have pulled memories related to me by vets and included in my books. During World War II, troops stationed overseas were often unable to observe Christmas celebrations. In fact, in December 1944 troops were engaged in one of the bloodiest battles of the war -- Battle of the Bulge. George Buhler... Continue Reading →
Wounded Army Soldier Fought at D-Day
Last week I announced the release of my new book, We Gave Our Best: American WWII Veterans Tell Their Stories. In future posts I will introduce veterans from the book whose stories may inspire you as they have done to me. Gene Cogan was a veteran recommended to me by a friend and am I... Continue Reading →