Blog

D-Day/The Day

September 3, 2022

June 6, 1944. Most people, when they hear the words “D-Day” are quick to note that D-Day was the day of an important battle of World War II. But those who have a special interest in World War II, and those who had a father, or grandfather, or uncle who was “there” on D-Day, and…

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Charles Norman Shay

July 22, 2022

On Omaha Beach, at Saint Lauren sur Mer, France, a turtle-shaped memorial honors the 175 Native Americans who participated in the D-Day invasion. It is dedicated to Master Sgt. Charles Normand Shay, a much decorated veteran of both World War II and Korea. He was a teenager when he served as platoon medic for Fox…

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Remembering someone I never knew

May 24, 2022

In just a couple of weeks, we will be headed to London, Normandy, and Paris with the Victory in Europe sponsored by the Friends of the World War II Memorial. Each of us has been asked whether there is a particular World War II Veteran we wish to honor. There are several members of the…

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Uncle John’s War

January 5, 2022

My Uncle John served with the U.S. Army’s 349th Infantry. He fought in the Rome-Arno, No. Apennines, and Po Valley campaigns, and was awarded three bronze stars. Of the four Flynn brothers, John was always acknowledged to be “the quiet one.” Perhaps it’s inevitable to become a boy of few words with two garrulous older…

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The Rome-Arno Campaign – What was it like?

January 4, 2022

I never would have guessed—book lover that I’ve always been—that I would one day discover via podcast insights that had eluded me in all my reading. Over the past few years Twitter has connect me with a quirky little community whose interests align with mine: reading, writing, the environment, travel, history, art, food. And above…

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Thank a Veteran Today

November 11, 2021

Those of us born in the years immediately after World War II grew up surrounded by  Veterans. There was a framed photograph of many a “Dad” in uniform quietly on display in many a living room. More often, though, photos, and medals, service ribbons, and dog tags were tucked away in a desk or dresser…

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Pandemic fatigue

November 17, 2020

Why did we think that we would escape the kind of historic cataclysms that have upended the lives of every generation? Think of our parents. And grandparents. I think of my grandmother. First cataclysm: Flu epidemic of 1918. Mary and Phil Flynn lived in the first floor apartment of a brand new triple-decker on Morton…

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