Capturing WWII Stories, One Veteran at a Time
September 18 was the Air Force’s 75th birthday. It was officially formed in 1947, two years after WWII ended. During World War II, the aviation branch of the military was an arm of the Army. It was called at different times the Army Air Corps and Army Air Force. As a proud supporter of our... Continue Reading →
Hugh Wallis poses with his nephew, dressed similarly, in paratrooper garb. In honor of National Airborne Day celebrated on August 16th annually, I’m posting a story about Hugh Wallis from my book 'They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans.' I’ve visited him several times and am always blessed by his kind support... Continue Reading →
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 →
Clairus Dew served with the 5th Air Force in WWII. I met Clairus Dew 10 years ago through another veteran I had interviewed. I liked when that occurred because it helped introduce me to World War II veterans who didn't know me. Clairus was very elderly but sharp about his military service. His photo of... Continue Reading →
Charlie Conrad served aboard the USS Farquhar during WWII. I met World War II Navy veteran Charlie Conrad several years ago at a patriotic picnic gathering near my home. He had a ball cap with a Navy design on it and so I approached him (as I have done with many veterans) to ask if... Continue Reading →
Lorraine Hook Davis served in the Coast Guard during WWII. On the final day of our Military Appreciation Week veteran stories, we celebrate one of the 350,000 women who enlisted in the newly-created American military branches for women – Lorraine Hook Davis. Lorraine Hook Davis' photo is on the left of the cover of my... Continue Reading →
We don't want to end the month without mentioning Black History Month I had the opportunity to interview two African Americans who served in World War II. Vaughan Whitworth served as a Montford Point Marine in World War II. Vaughan Whitworth was a Montford Point Marine who later served in the Pacific. If you don't... 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 →
To give you a chance to hear first-hand from some of the amazing veterans I’ve interviewed, I’ve created a Youtube Channel. It contains short (no more than 5 minutes) videos shot at the end of interviews with veterans about what they remembered and thought of their military service during World War II more than 70... Continue Reading →
Don Wolfe served as a B-26 pilot during WWII. Another one of my veterans reached the amazing age of 100! Donald Wolfe served in the Army Air Corps in Europe. I interviewed him a few years ago and have kept in touch. He recently celebrated his birthday with a party. Unfortunately, I could not attend,... Continue Reading →
Writing of Kayleen Reusser 