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 →
Happy Birthday to the Air Force!
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 →
World War II B-24 Pilot Barely Escapes Death in the South Pacific
I met Robert Kreider, World War II veteran with the Army Air Corps, through a mutual friend. Chris Jones had known him since she had been a child as the two families spent much time together. He lived an hour away so we visited a couple of times when I was in the area. He... Continue Reading →
Military Appreciation Week: Louis Bowman, WWII Navy
In honor of Military Appreciation Week, I'm posting daily stories of vets. Today is an excerpt of WWII Navy vet Louis Bowman. His full story is told in my book, We Defended Freedom: Adventures of WWII Veterans. There is a special opportunity at the end of this post -- be sure to read to the... Continue Reading →
WWII Marine Kenny Bosworth Served in the Pacific
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 →
Days of Respect for Medal of Honor, Vietnam War Veterans
Indiana vet Sammy Davis is a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam. He is wearing it around his neck. On Friday, March 25, our nation celebrated National Medal of Honor Day. This date was established by Congress in 1990 to “foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients.”... Continue Reading →
New Book About WWII Women Releases!
'Born To Be Soldiers: Those Plucky Women of World War II' is available on Amazon. Purchase your copy today! 'Born To Be Soldiers: Those Plucky Women of World War II' contains stories of 13 women I interviewed who told me of volunteering to enter the military to support their country. After my three latest books... Continue Reading →
WWII Female Army Technician Aided Wounded Soldiers
This next story in my weekly series of excerpted stories of veterans from my books is about a young woman who wanted to help sick people but had no funds. The war helped her achieve her dreams of being a nurse. Stories from females who volunteered to join the military are few among my total... Continue Reading →
World War II Veteran Aids Wounded at Las Negras
Wallace Avey served as an Army medic in World War II Each week in 2022 I will introduce a World War II veteran to readers by sharing an excerpted story from one of my 9 books. Go to my Amazon page to see the complete list. Share your thoughts about these men and women who... Continue Reading →
World War II Vet Serviced Vought OS2U Kingfishers in Cuba
Robert Arbuckle of Noblesville, Indiana, enlisted in the US Navy and later served in Cuba. In 2022 I plan to introduce more World War II veterans to readers with a weekly series of excerpted stories from my books. Go to Amazon for a complete list of my 9 titles. Please share your thoughts about these... Continue Reading →