Capturing Military Stories One Veteran at a Time
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
