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I saw him outside the window on his knees in a small tent-like enclosure. I couldn’t tell what it was or what he was doing there. The contraption looked like a square tent, but with a fine mesh cover protecting him and perhaps something else. What was he doing on the grounds of the Bethe House on Bathtub Row in Los Alamos, New Mexico? I would soon find out. I had just finished touring the recently renovated historic home where nuclear physicist Hans Bethe lived with his family lived during the development of the bomb in World War II. There […]

Recently I visited this expansive National Park in Richmond, CA, and was surprised by the many unexpected experiences from this spontaneous Saturday field trip. We had eagerly left a chilly, foggy morning along the coast and headed toward warmer surroundings and another World War II era adventure. I was not disappointed by this unplanned trip and my memories remain fresh and vivid. My first visit to this new park along the historic Richmond waterfront happened in 2000 when my office was involved in the dedication of the newly completed Rosie the Riveter Memorial. Meeting the Rosies and the other women […]

“Courage isn’t having strength to go on-it is going on when you don’t have strength” Napoleon Bonaparte Courage was not in short supply when it came to the soldiers and their families during World War II. People from all walks of life demonstrated courage in small ways and through many unselfish acts. As I watched the recent drama of Harvey unfold two weeks ago, I thought of those World War II families. In many ways they were like those impacted by the hurricane. They had faced extreme hardships over several years and much insecurity about their future, but they never […]

Today’s article is from our guest writer, Leah Toeniskoetter, who shares her unique experience connecting with her grandfather’s World War II service story. When I signed in to fly in a B-24 Liberator called “Witchcraft” with the Wings of Freedom, I didn’t know what to expect. Their fully restored World War II airplanes tour all over the country and offer people the chance to experience the aircraft up close and personal. My paternal grandfather had been a B-24 navigator, flying over twenty missions when he was only twenty years of age with what was then the Army Air Corps. A dear friend […]