In looking through local church cookbooks for great recipes to make, it has been a delight to find names of people who have been a part of my life. Usually it is a female, but in this case it is a man -- WWII vet Dick Beitler of Berne, Indiana. I'll explain. In 2012, I... Continue Reading →
Movie Review: Twelve O’clock High
I’m starting a monthly column of movie reviews of World War II films. These will mostly be movies made prior to the 1960s, so black and white. They are chosen in no particular order. It may be a little challenging for you to find these movies, but check with your library and streaming services. I’ll... Continue Reading →
Teen Helped in Belgian Resistance
Soldiers were not the only ones who encountered the war in Europe. Fort Wayne resident Gabriel Delobbe remembers the day his home country of Belgium was invaded by the German Army on May 10, 1940. "I was 14 years old," he said. "The Belgian Army was small so all we could do was watch the... Continue Reading →
Keeping Goals Simple for 2023
Happy New Year! Cheers for a mild winter so far and a bright outlook for 2023! Here are my goals: Read more. My Google spreadsheet lists nearly 100 books I read/ listened to while walking in 2022 (I use my library's Libby app). Raising the bar is ambitious but exciting. 2. Take more time for... Continue Reading →
Seabee Brings Christmas to Overseas Troops
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 →
82nd Paratrooper Landed in Holland
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 →
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 →
Sailor Fought at Okinawa in World War II
I met Francis, or ‘Link’ as he preferred to be called, Holmes in his nursing home around 2012. This was early in my interviews with 260 World War II veterans so I don't recall who told me about him. He was happy to tell about his years as a sailor in World War II. I... 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 →