Sam Hayward served aboard the USS Yorktown during WWII. To provide role models of brave Americans I’m introducing weekly World War II Veteran Moments. Each week I’ll present one veteran who served this country during war and the book where his/her story is profiled. Thanks to every veteran reading this for your service! Name: Sam... Continue Reading →
WWII Story for National Adoption Day
Charlie Conrad served on the USS Farquhar during WWII. Today is National Adoption Day in the United States. I am providing a behind-the-scenes look at the adoption of one of the 260 World War II veterans I’ve interviewed. Much of this was not printed in the book which contains his story, They Did It for... Continue Reading →
Happy 245th Birthday to the United States Navy!
William Ingram joined the Navy at age 17. He would serve three years as a POW by the Japanese. Wow! That is some achievement! Although we are an Air Force family, I’m still proud of this strong branch of our United States military. I'm proud of every branch of our military, in fact. A book... Continue Reading →
VJ Day- 75th Anniversary of End of WWII
Seventy-five years ago, on August 14, 1945, World War II came to an end when Emperor Hirohito of Japan accepted conditions of unconditional surrender to Allied forces. The following day, August 15, was officially proclaimed V-J Day (Victory in Japan) in the United States. It became a day of celebration and thanksgiving around the world.... Continue Reading →
World War II Seaman Faced Death Three Times in the Pacific
Upon being drafted into the U.S. Navy on August 5, 1943, Gareth Wiedekehr of Berne, Indiana, attended boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois. He received training for Morse code at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated as a Radioman 3rd class, equivalent to a sergeant in the Army. At Naval Station... Continue Reading →
Naval Doctor Served at Bikini Atoll
This is an excerpt of my story of Dr. Justin Arata's military service -- both as a physician during WWII and later collecting data after the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. ... For Dr. Justin Arata of Fort Wayne, the most significant part of serving in the Navy during World War II occurred... Continue Reading →
Daughter Recalls Father Killed in WWII
This story is part of the collection in my book, It Was Our War Too: Youth in the Shadows of WWII. It reminds us that war takes a toll on those left behind. Thanks to the vets and their families reading this. When 12-year-old Joan Wojciechowski arrived home from school in late October 1944, her... Continue Reading →
Women’s History Month Features WWII Vet Marceil Saalfrank Harris
As a continuation of March as Women’s History Month today I’m featuring Marceil Saalfrank Harris. During World War II, Marceil enlisted as a member of the WAVES, which is an acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. It was the women's branch of the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. Of the 16 million people... Continue Reading →
Navy Vet Recalls Fighting at Iwo Jima
We have reached 75 years since the last year of WWII in 1945. Several significant occurrences happened in 1945. I’ll talk about some of them, beginning with the battle of Iwo Jima, an island in the Pacific from Feb 19-March 26. This story is an excerpt from my book, They Did It for Honor: Stories... Continue Reading →
WWII Vets Remember Pearl Harbor
“At 0800 hours on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a cacophony of unfamiliar noises on Ford Island caused Seaman 2nd class Richard Girocco and other seamen from his PBY squadron (‘patrol bomber’) to run outside of their aviation hangar. Ordinarily, the seamen would be resting on their bunks. Today, they had been ordered to prepare... Continue Reading →