Capturing Military Stories One Veteran at a Time
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 →
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 →
“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 →
Caption: World War II Navy veteran Alvin Ping (left, above with WWII vet Bill Smith) at 2018 Book Launch for Book 3 of WWII Legacies: We Gave Our Best: American WWII Veterans Tell Their Stories) Today we’re celebrating a 100th birthday! No, it’s not for me—I’ve a ways to go yet. Mr. Alvin Ping recently reached... Continue Reading →
Readers ask about how I decide what goes on the covers of my books. As I feel the veterans who I write about should be showcased, I’ve chosen to place their photos on front back covers. At the top of the front cover of D-Day: Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Tell about Normandy, you see two... Continue Reading →
As Christmas approaches, I have pulled memories related to me by vets and included in my books. During World War II, troops stationed overseas were often unable to observe Christmas celebrations. In fact, in December 1944 troops were engaged in one of the bloodiest battles of the war -- Battle of the Bulge. George Buhler... Continue Reading →
I’m happy to announce my third book in the WWII Legacies series in nearly complete! We Gave Our Best: American WWII Veterans Tell Their Stories will be available for purchase by Fall 2018. I love the cover that the design artist came up with. The faces of several of the veterans whose stories are featured... Continue Reading →
I wrote this story about a soldier who grew up in my community. Nearly every day, newspapers carried sad notifications about soldiers and sailors who had perished during the war. Part of the research was with this soldier’s brother who is still living in his 90s. ** Gerald Eugene Lesh On December 26, 1943, Electrician’s... Continue Reading →
Another veteran from my book, They Did It for Honor: Stories of American WWII Veterans, who is planning to attend the book launch is Sam Hayward. This was a different type of interview for me as he was the first black veteran I had ever interviewed. I was thrilled that Sam allowed me to talk... Continue Reading →
