Capturing WWII Stories, One Veteran at a Time
Dandi Daley Mackall's novel, With Love Wherever You Are, is based on her parents' love story. I first met Dandi Daley Mackall around 2003 at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in California. She taught a class on children’s writing. The thought of writing for children had never entered my mind, even though I had... Continue Reading →
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 →
This is a story Mom, Joan Brewer, told me several years ago while sitting in my kitchen. I just about fell off my chair laughing. She and her friend Joyce were young girls when this all happened during the Great Depression. They stayed in contact for many years. Sadly, Joyce has since passed on. This past... Continue Reading →
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 →
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. It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of WWII ISBN: 9781732 517233 While interviewing WWII vets over a period of several years,... Continue Reading →
Upon being drafted into the U.S. Navy on August 5, 1943, Gareth Wiedekehr of Berne, Indiana, attended boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois. He received training for Morse code at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated as a Radioman 3rd class, equivalent to a sergeant in the Army. At Naval Station... Continue Reading →
This story is part of the collection in my book, It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of WWII. It reminds us that war takes a toll on those left behind. Thanks to the vets and their families reading this. When 12-year-old Joan Wojciechowski arrived home from school in late October 1944, her... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
