Capturing WWII Stories, One Veteran at a Time
During the early 1940s, Ivan Detwiler attended North Side High School in Fort Wayne. His family, like many, had little money. In September 1943, Detwiler quit school to enlist in the Navy. He was 16 years old. While stationed in Japan in December 1945, Detwiler wired a 50-foot fir tree for lights. “It was the... Continue Reading →
I met Kenny Bosworth at an Optimist Club in Portland, Indiana. I had been asked to speak about my project of interviewing 260 World War II veterans. A notice had been put into the local newspaper and someone told Mr. Bosworth about it. He was accompanied by his daughter who helped me arrange a time... Continue Reading →
Joseph Wojciechowski sits atop a gun on a ship in WWII. April is designated as ‘The Month of the Military Child’. This is an important recognition for me, not because I’m a military child, but because it is one of the reasons I began writing World War II stories. When working as a reporter for... Continue Reading →
Poster designed to remind Americans through the long war to keep fighting. Courtesy National Archives. This is the sixth and final part of my series commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which occurred on December 7, 1941. ** If you’ve not read the previous entries to this series, please do so... Continue Reading →
The USS Arizona burns after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. National Archives. Some 'Behind the Scenes' Info: My interview with Dick Girocco was unique among my 260 talks with veterans from World War II. Ordinarily, I sat in front of a veteran while he/she told their stories about military service. I... Continue Reading →
This year is the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor which occurred on December 7, 1941. To commemorate that significant event in our nation’s history, each week leading up to that date I’ll post information about it. As you’re reading through the posts, leave a comment to let me know how this... Continue Reading →
Nick Loren served in the fireroom aboard the USS Boston In honor of the birthday of the U.S. Navy which was founded 246 years ago today (1775), I’m sharing a story from my book, We Defended Freedom: Adventures of World War II Veterans (2020). This book has a lot of Navy stories so if that’s... Continue Reading →
Jim Wiegman witnessed the Japanese surrender aboard the USS New Mexico. On September 2, 1945, 19-year-old James Charles Wiegman was one of the few American sailors who had a bird’s eye view of the most important military events in world history. Wiegman of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was at sea aboard the battleship, USS New Mexico,... Continue Reading →
American flag on display at the Indiana War Memorial Museum. I’m proud to be an American and I’m proud of our American flag. It is fitting that we should celebrate it on its own special day. An American flag has flown on the front of our home since we've lived here for 31 years. You... Continue Reading →
'Journey to Royal' is a new, exciting docudrama that highlights the peril of flight crew members during WWII. Have you seen the new docudrama ‘Journey to Royal’ that was released on Amazon in February? It includes stories of World War II veterans involved in rescues (or their families in some cases). While the film highlights... Continue Reading →
Writing of Kayleen Reusser 