Battles, Books, Military, Remembrance, Research

The USS Indianapolis + 75 Years

Georgia Men Among the Crew of the Ill-fated USS Indianapolis in 1945 Seventy-five years ago, only minutes past midnight on July 30, 1945, the Imperial Japanese submarine I-58 launched two torpedoes in the dark waters of the south Pacific. They sped toward the USS Indianapolis striking her in the bow and at midship. The story of what transpired following the attack is well known to navy veterans and WWII historians and … Continue reading The USS Indianapolis + 75 Years

rona simmonsAugust 3, 2020August 3, 2020Leave a comment

Battles, Books, Military

Ten on a Topic: Understanding Normandy

“Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book.” George C. Scott utters those words in a scene from the 1970 film Patton. With that gloating comment, the general reveals to the audience how he defeated the infamous Wehrmacht field marshal. He read his book. I would venture the same goes for almost anything in life including learning about D-Day and the battles waged in Normandy or enhancing a … Continue reading Ten on a Topic: Understanding Normandy

rona simmonsJuly 17, 2020July 17, 2020Leave a comment

Battles, Books, Military, Remembrance, Veterans

A Witness to the Start of D-Day

The Neyland home, a bright white house with a long narrow front porch, sits back from the street and is surrounded by the last of spring’s pink and lavender blooms. It’s a quiet street, two blocks off a thoroughfare in Marietta, Georgia, and four thousand miles from where James once stood guard and witnessed the start of the invasion of Normandy on a night in … Continue reading A Witness to the Start of D-Day

rona simmonsJune 23, 2020Leave a comment

Books, Military

A Military Man Is Mentored through Books

Meet Dr. Jean Gilnord Mathurin, medical officer in the United States Navy and firm believer in the power of books. And, keep reading to learn more about the military and its reading recommendations. Dr Mathurin is a Haitian immigrant who raised himself from dishwasher to a US Naval Medical Officer. He shared his perspective on books and what he believes are the keys to success … Continue reading A Military Man Is Mentored through Books

rona simmonsJune 8, 2020Leave a comment

Remembrance, Research, Veterans

One of 400,000

Despite the airwaves being dominated by news of the pandemic, I hope that people everywhere remember that 2020 is the 75th anniversary of another global event—the end of World War Two. I like to think that with so many efforts underway to memorialize the events, battles, and the people who served that it would be impossible to escape knowing the significance of 2020. I am … Continue reading One of 400,000

rona simmonsApril 28, 20201 Comment

Remembrance, Veterans

At the Century Mark

Am I the only one to notice? It seems I cannot scroll through another Facebook news, or Twitter feed, or Youtube channel without seeing a post or video of a 100-year-old WWII veteran celebrating life. I thought, in these dire times engendered by the coronavirus, it might be worth highlighting a few of these remarkable people. Each and every one has an inspirational and uplifting … Continue reading At the Century Mark

rona simmonsApril 14, 2020Leave a comment

Military Families, Remembrance

Recognized in a SOTU: Military Wives

Part 2 As promised, this is a follow up to my February 20 blog post, “Recognized in a SOTU, Then What?” in which I wrote about individuals with military affiliations who have been recognized during a state of the union address. Today, I’ll note the handful of women recognized for their lives as wives of military figures and as citizens who made a difference in … Continue reading Recognized in a SOTU: Military Wives

rona simmonsMarch 31, 2020March 31, 2020Leave a comment

Coming Home, Homefront, Veterans

The Singular Life of a Military Family

Videos of soldiers arriving home unexpectedly to surprise their families are popular on the internet. I confess, I never tire of watching them. A recent example was during the most recent State of the Union address when the President recognized the sacrifice members of our military make by surprising Amy Williams and her two children with a visit from their father, Sergeant Townsend Williams. It’s … Continue reading The Singular Life of a Military Family

rona simmonsMarch 9, 2020March 9, 2020Leave a comment

Remembrance, Research, Veterans

Recognized in a SOTU, Then What?

PART 1 Last week in his State of the Union (SOTU) address, President Trump recognized a number of “ordinary citizens” in the gallery, continuing the practice begun by President Reagan in 1982. This year the group included four members and veterans of the military or their families: Tony Rankins who served in the US Army in Afghanistan, suffered from PTSD and drug addiction but who … Continue reading Recognized in a SOTU, Then What?

rona simmonsFebruary 20, 2020February 21, 2020Leave a comment

Remembrance, Veterans

The Three-War Survivor’s League

Just over one thousand men. That’s how many veterans the Veterans Administration estimates still remain of the 72,000 who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, according to an article by the Panama Herald in May 2019. One of the three-war-veterans was one-hundred-year-old US Air Force Col. Charles McGee (pictured above) who helped toss the coin for the 54th Super Bowl (and 100th NFL season) in … Continue reading The Three-War Survivor’s League

rona simmonsFebruary 3, 2020March 21, 2020Leave a comment

Gone for a Soldier

WWII Perspectives for the Legacy Generation

Author: rona simmons