Capturing Military Stories One Veteran at a Time
D-Day: Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Tell about Normandy is the first book in my new World War II Insider series. Its publication has been timed to coincide with the upcoming 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. ** D-Day: Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen Tell About Normandy is a compilation of stories from veterans... Continue Reading →
I’m putting finishing touches on my second book of World War II stories -- They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans. It contains 34 stories of men/women of every branch- Army, Navy, Army Air Corps, Marines, Merchant Marines, Coast Guard. It will be available for purchase by the end of summer. I’ll announce... Continue Reading →
Two World War II vets from my book have passed away recently. Carl Mankey, one of the few World War II Marines I’ve interviewed and one of the 28 WWII vets whose stories are featured in my book, died on April 6, 2016. Here is a portion of his story: In June 22, 1944, Marine... Continue Reading →
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for us and many other military families around the nation. Veteran’s Day is perhaps the biggest day of the year for all vets. It gives the public the opportunity to honor them in so many ways. John & I participated in Fort Wayne’s Veteran’s Day Parade. He rode... Continue Reading →
Whew! It’s been quite a week of promoting World War II veterans! Last week my husband John & I met hundreds (thousands?) of people as we manned our booth at the Bluffton Street Fair. It was great fun with lots of opportunities to tell people about the 100 World War II vets I’ve interviewed and... Continue Reading →
Last week was a busy, fruitful week for spreading the word about honoring our nation’s World War II vets! Not one, not two, but three speaking engagements! One was even on TV! That’s a trifecta for this small town girl who enrolled in Toastmasters to learn how to speak to a group! On Sunday August... Continue Reading →
Sometimes people want to know what happens when I interview a World War II veteran. It's a process and always a privilege. First, I allot two hours for the interview. This does not include the time it takes to drive to/from the place where the veteran lives. The two hours does include my getting set up with... Continue Reading →
I’d like to recognize a vet who passed away last year. Elmo Rieddle was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943. He worked two years as a mechanic for the 486th Bomb Squadron at Sudbury England. After he was discharged at the war’s end, he was a member of the Army National Guard for... Continue Reading →
May 8, 1921-Jan 17, 2015 It is with sadness that I tell of the passing of Richard Vanderwall whose story was included in my book, World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans. I met Richard Marvin Vanderwall, Sr. when my mother introduced me to him at the location where they both lived... Continue Reading →
Today is my birthday. I live in the Midwest of the US and have sworn to myself that someday I’m going to be somewhere warm for my birthday! Right now it is 30 degrees so I know it could be worse. But I'm definitely thinking 'beach' is in a future birthday! Anyway, I have nothing... Continue Reading →
