Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser
Capturing Delicious Recipes From the Past
Bill Ingram was 17 years old when he survived the sinking of the USS Houston in the Java Sea on Feb. 28, 1942 -- only to be captured by Japanese forces. The following is an excerpt from my new book, Captured: Stories of American World War II Prisoners of War: On February 28, 1942, William... Continue Reading →
Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams used a flamethrower on Iwo Jima to enable Allied troops to drive inland. His efforts caused him to receive the Medal of Honor. Today is the 76th anniversary of the Allied invasion of the island of Iwo Jima in the South Pacific. Several veterans I’ve interviewed served there. One of them, Hershel... Continue Reading →
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 →
William Ingram joined the Navy at age 17. He would serve three years as a POW by the Japanese. Wow! That is some achievement! Although we are an Air Force family, I’m still proud of this strong branch of our United States military. I'm proud of every branch of our military, in fact. A book... 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 is a story from my book, D-Day: Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Tell about Normandy. Thanks to every vet reading this for his/her service! ** “It’s not fun being fired on in the middle of combat,” said George Banky of Waterloo, Iowa. “But that’s what war is. You have to get yourself mentally fitted for... Continue Reading →
“At 0800 hours on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a cacophony of unfamiliar noises on Ford Island caused Seaman 2nd class Richard Girocco and other seamen from his PBY squadron (‘patrol bomber’) to run outside of their aviation hangar. Ordinarily, the seamen would be resting on their bunks. Today, they had been ordered to prepare... Continue Reading →
While I focus mostly on interviewing and writing stories from World War II veterans as they are our nation's oldest military vets, I also interview Korean War veterans. The following story is one that appeared in the News-Sentinel newspaper in Fort Wayne earlier this year. ** On a morning in April 1951 when day was... Continue Reading →
I wrote this story about a soldier who grew up in my community. Nearly every day, newspapers carried sad notifications about soldiers and sailors who had perished during the war. Part of the research was with this soldier’s brother who is still living in his 90s. ** Gerald Eugene Lesh On December 26, 1943, Electrician’s... Continue Reading →
Paul Rider of Fort Wayne is an interviewer’s dream. He could recite his story during World War II in clear fashion, had a scrapbook full of memories, a diary and many photos – and a story that had a peaceful resolution decades after the war. Remember to thank a veteran today for his/her service... Continue Reading →
Vintage Eats of Kayleen Reusser 