Our back yard looks a little different this year. Flatter. Fewer evergreens. And SNOW! One of the biggest changes my family has experienced since this summer's move across the country is adjusting to a new climate. Winter in western Washington was the "rainy season." We'd have to wear layers, and the damp air could get… Continue reading Musical Interlude: “White Christmas”
""Sinking Sun": painting by Griffith Baily Coale, oil on canvas, 1942. Description: A U.S. Marine stands at parade rest on the bow of a PT boat as she moves slowly out to sea from Midway to give decent burial to Japanese fliers shot down on the islands during the battle. The red ball of the… Continue reading The Battle of Midway: Part I
Combat! My husband has a knack for finding interesting viewing. When the first season of Combat! showed up amongst my gifts last year, I didn't know quite what to expect having neither heard of nor watched the show before. Now that we have completed watching the first season, with the second and third seasons waiting… Continue reading World War II on the Small Screen
Playing cards to pass the time War can be hell… and war can be absolute boredom. There are few better ways to pass the time than by playing cards. They’re easy to carry: small and lightweight, they fit into a rucksack, duffel bag or Alice pack without having to sacrifice any piece of essential gear. […]Playing… Continue reading Playing cards made history — Pacific Paratrooper
The Benedictine monastery on Monte Cassino, rebuilt after its war time destruction. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Information about the license is linked here. As 1943 drew to a close, the Italian campaign showed signs of stagnating. Watching the progress from afar, Allied leaders frowned at the slow progress of their armies who slogged north… Continue reading Monte Cassino: The Italian Campaign in WWII Part IV
Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum under their Non-Commercial license. © IWM NA 24123 Sometimes history reads like fiction. This photo first came to my attention in Richard Doherty's "Eighth Army in Italy: 1943-45"1 and I finally found it in the Imperial War Museum's archives. Original wartime caption: This Sherman tank, during a night… Continue reading A Sticky Situation
“Tanks of an Armored regiment are debarking from an LST [US 77] in Anzio harbor [Italy] and added strength to the U.S. Fifth Army [VI Corps] forces on the beachhead (WWII Signal Corps Photograph Collection)” Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons While temperatures in my region of the U.S. are spiking to unusual highs, it's time to… Continue reading Through the Rivers and Over the Mountains: The Italian Campaign in WWII Part III
“Tanks of an Armored regiment are debarking from an LST [US 77] in Anzio harbor [Italy] and added strength to the U.S. Fifth Army [VI Corps] forces on the beachead (WWII Signal Corps Photograph Collection)” Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Hello Readers! Happy first day of Spring! Time has flown. Between finishing the third quarter of… Continue reading Getting a Foothold: The Italian Campaign in WWII Part II
"Tanks of an Armored regiment are debarking from an LST [US 77] in Anzio harbor [Italy] and added strength to the U.S. Fifth Army [VI Corps] forces on the beachead (WWII Signal Corps Photograph Collection)" Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Yesterday marked the 77th anniversary of Operation Shingle, the Allied landings on the beaches of… Continue reading It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: The Italian Campaign in WWII Part 1
The WWII story of the island of Guam is fascinating, but not well known. It's a good thing we have people like GP Cox who share stories like these! I hope you'll head over to his blog "Pacific Paratrooper" to check out the full post—it's well worth the read. Guam In a lot of Pacific… Continue reading Guam — Pacific Paratrooper
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