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 →
Sailor Served Aboard LST in the Pacific
Bill Current served aboard an LST in the Pacific. Today’s story is taken from Book 3 in my World War II Legacies series: We Gave Our Best: American WWII Veterans Tell Their Stories. Note: The books do not have to be read in order. Each of the four books in the series are filled with... Continue Reading →
WWII Vet Recalls Sinking of WWII’s Last German Sub
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 →
Flag Day and WWII
Paul Rider holds an American flag in a Philippine jungle. I love the American flag. I’m a proud American who loves her country’s flag and what it stands for so much that I’m dedicating my 30-year writing career to interviewing American veterans and writing books about what they have done to protect our country and... Continue Reading →
WWII African-American Stories
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 →
World War II Corpsman Served on Hospital Ship
Paul Bandelier served as a corpsman aboard the USS Relief. In 2022 I’m introducing more World War II veterans to readers with a weekly series of excerpted stories from my books. Let me know what you think about these men and women who served our country from 1941-1945. Did you know them or people like... Continue Reading →
What Led to the Japanese Attack at Pearl Harbor? Part 2
Japanese Zero fighters fly a mission of destruction to Nanzheng, China, 26 May 1941 (public domain via Wikipedia) The Military Build-Up to December 7, 1941 — What happened in the last days of peace before the collision between the United States and Japan? In July 1941 the Japanese leadership made the fateful decision to go... Continue Reading →
WWII Vets Describe the War in Their Own Words
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 →
WWII Vet Served with Patton’s Third Army
Denny Butler served as a mortar gunner in Europe. I met WWII vet Dennis Butler several years ago through a friend’s recommendation – and am I glad for the opportunity to interview him! Not only did Denny (his preferred nickname) have an amazing story of survival in Europe, but he had a photo album of... Continue Reading →
Veteran of Three Wars: Willis Colburn
Willis Colburn's cap reflects his service in 3 wars: WWII, Korea, Vietnam. Willis Colburn was near 100 when I interviewed him, but his mind was sharp. What a story of service in three wars: WWII, Korea, Vietnam. His story is featured in my book, We Gave Our Best: American WWII Veterans Tell Their Stories. Colburn's... Continue Reading →