This is history. Not history 101 like you may have suffered through in your freshman year at college, but living, breathing history. In this eminently readable 500 page book, Groom braids together the events that led to and transpired during World War II as witnessed and influenced by three bigger than life men. Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin rise from the pages with details of character and … Continue reading The Allies
Frank Merrill, William Darby, and James Rudder. Who were they and what do they have in common? Frank Merrill’s name is perhaps the most well-known of the three, the man having been the subject of a number of books and Hollywood movies. Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill headed the 5307th Composite Unit in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II. The unit, also known as “Galahad” … Continue reading WWII in Our Backyards – Georgia
The Bataan Death March. Most of those interested in World War II know about the 75 mile forced march along the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines in 1942. It wasn’t meant to be nearly as brutal and deadly as it happened, but a confluence of factors contributed to the unfortunate circumstances–largely the unpreparedness of the Japanese when faced with the sheer number of prisoners and … Continue reading Ghost Soldiers
I’ve yet to trace the origin of sweetheart scarves, whether they began with WWI or earlier. What I do know is as Corporal John Lurker departed Evansville, Indiana, USA for Europe in 1918 at the height of the “war to end all wars,” my grandmother’s beau presented her with one. The scarf measures about a foot square, is trimmed in lace, and made of silk … Continue reading 100 Year-Old Memento
Dick Bailey nudges his wheelchair next to the podium. Summoning the little remaining strength he has in each arm, he presses against the chair to stand. An aide places an arm under Dick’s elbow and guides him to a tall chair behind the microphone. “I’m not as feeble as I look,” Dick says with his gravely voice. “I spoke to this group some months ago, … Continue reading Humor: A WWII Veteran’s Favorite Weapon
At two inches thick, weighing two pounds, and holding seven hundred pages between its covers, Brothers, Rivals, Victors is an imposing book, nearly as big and proud as the three men it portrays. For anyone interested in World War II, the book is a must read, an entertaining and compelling story of three of the men who led the Allies to victory and who remain larger … Continue reading Brothers, Rivals, Victors
