April showers may bring May flowers, but I haven't experienced April snow showers for a good long time. Still, while my relatives in northern Minnesota are still looking at some snow shoveling, my yard is turning green and my trees (including the lightning-struck one) are starting to leaf out, so I suppose I can't complain!… Continue reading The 81st Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid
2023 has arrived, and even though the gray clouds remind me of Washington winter more than the dazzling snowscapes I envisioned, it's off to a pretty good start in the Clare household. We had a lovely Christmas break with many visits from family and friends, and my kids and I found a snow drift large… Continue reading Exploring the Oshkosh Public Museum (and a Small Piece of the National WWII Museum)
My husband and I set up this little display in our new school. Students and visitors were encouraged to add "stars" with the names of veterans they'd like to recognize. We were pleased to see that due to high participation we'll probably need to make the board bigger next year. November in the United States… Continue reading Where Does Thankfulness Fit on the Calendar?
I did something that wasn't unpacking, cleaning, or schoolwork! A Saturday or two ago, I slipped away for a couple of hours into Oshkosh, WI, to explore a new museum. Just down the road from the rather better-known EAA Aviation Museum*, the Military Veterans Museum was a fascinating place to visit AND it provided some… Continue reading Exploring the Oshkosh Military Veterans Museum
""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
This weekend marks the 77th anniversary of "V-E Day," the official declaration of Victory in Europe as the Second World War neared its end. While I've read descriptions of the euphoric celebrations, I think that some of the images from the day capture the story best. "The first flyers announcing the German surrender outside the… Continue reading 77th Anniversary of V-E Day
As my family and I prepare to move across the country this summer, we've started making our "must visit" list. What places do we need to explore again while we have the chance? This museum is a definite maybe—it was always a favorite and might be even better now that the kids have had four… Continue reading Exploring the Naval Undersea Museum
"Anzio Invasion, January 1944. Troops and equipment come ashore on the U.S. Fifth Army Beachhead near Anzio, January 22, 1944. USS LCI-20 is burning at left, after being hit by a German bomb." Image courtesy of the U.S. National Archives via Naval History and Heritage Command. I first shared this post last October, but as… Continue reading 78th Anniversary of the Anzio Landings
Not all angels have wings, and not all POWs were soldiers. Today Our American Stories is sharing a piece that I contributed, "The Angels of Bataan." Here's the direct link if you'd like to give it a listen. This piece was based off of my blog post, POW Angels.
Photo by John on Pexels.com Once again we’ve turned the calendar page to a fresh new year, full of possibilities. Looking ahead to plans for 2022 got me looking back at 2021. Just what did I actually accomplish in the past year? It seems like it went by awfully fast… Personal The beginning of 2021… Continue reading Looking Back and Moving Forward
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