When We Reached America It Was the Most Unusual Sight for Us

Did you know that there were German POWs all over the United States during WWII? It’s true — there was even a famous German literary movement called Die Gruppe 47 that started in the camps. I regret you have to click the link and go to YouTube to listen…

During World War II, approximately 425,000 German prisoners of war (POWs) were held in the United States. These POWs were housed in various camps across the country, often in rural areas. Conditions in the camps were generally humane, with POWs receiving food, shelter, and work opportunities. Many participated in agricultural labor, helping to alleviate labor shortages on American farms.

While in captivity, some German POWs engaged in cultural activities, leading to movements like Die Gruppe 47, which fostered literary and artistic expression among inmates. The presence of these POWs highlighted the complexities of wartime experiences, as they formed a unique part of American history, bridging cultural exchanges between captors and captives. Their stories reflect themes of resilience, adaptation, and the human spirit during tumultuous times.

Here’s a Wikipedia list of camps across the United States.

October 17, 2024 0

This note…

…is all I have left from the woman who, for the most part, raised me in my earliest years:

The backstory? My birth father abandoned my mother and me before I left the womb. My grandmother [who we called ‘Ma moo’ because some cousin that went before me couldn’t say Grandma] and my maternal relatives rushed in to fill the gap. My mother worked as an administrative assistant to support my grandmother and me in my earlier years. This note was written around the time I was 3 or 4 when my mom met and married my dad and we moved out to start a life of our own. Today, on the 34th anniversary of her death with tears in my eyes I remember this remarkable woman and the sacrifices she made for me…

It was only last year on this day I learned that when she was married to my alcoholic grandfather there was a time when she left him and put her 4 children up for adoption to protect them from the horrible abuses at home — abuses so bad that my uncles later enlisted in WWII preferring to fight the Japanese and Germans to living with their own father. My grandmother, however, reconsidered out of a deep and abiding love for her children and went back to my grandfather despite the verbal and physical abuse. The number 4 is significant because my mother is the 5th child in the family and she was conceived after my grandmother put the family back together. In a very real way, I would not be here if not for her courage in the face of overwhelming adversity…

Today and every day I thank God for the gift of this courageous woman in my life. There are so many happy memories of early life with her — to this day when I feel happy, I sometimes crave a Cherry Coke. Why? When I was a good boy she took me to the soda fountain and rewarded me with one. This note — 50 years old this year — hangs in my home office and is a constant reminder of her loving presence in my life then, now and always!

November 2, 2012 6

Keep calm and carry on

Click the image to learn the fascinating story behind it…

October 7, 2012 0

3 Generations

It seems to me that a love of classic airplanes is something that is frequently passed from fathers to sons. These three generations inspecting a row of Curtiss P-40 Warhawks @ EAA made me stop and snap…

July 28, 2012 0

P-51

This is one of my favorite pictures of one of my favorite aircraft; a P-51 Mustang @ EAA AirVenture 2012…

July 28, 2012 0

Happy 75th birthday to the Piper Cub

Flying one of these babies around Door County in the fall is way up there on my bucket list. I better get moving!

A big birthday celebration Tuesday at EAA AirVenture. One of the most popular vintage aircraft, that weighs less than a thousand pounds, turns 75 years old. Pilots have come from around the world to celebrate the Piper Cub.

The Piper J-3 Cub was built in 1937 through 1947. Right away the Civilian Pilot Training Program saw a use for the plane.

“There was a need for training planes and the one that seemed to do it the best for a reasonable price was the Piper Cub,” said H.G Frautschy, the executive director of the Vintage Aircraft Association.

Frautschy told FOX 11 the cub became famous quickly.

“They were on cigarette packs, match kit covers, on any kind of popular advertising at the time, the Piper Cub became the plane everybody knew about,” said Frautschy.

Pilot Steve Krog owns three Piper Cubs. He Told FOX 11 they are some of the most popular vintage aircraft.

According to Krog, who also runs a flight school using Piper Cubs, they are a safe, relatively easy plane to learn to fly. But it’s not just these factors that make the planes popular.

“Many of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers learned to fly in cubs so there’s a real connection to the airplane,” said Krog.

Frautschy said Piper Aircraft built about 6,000 cubs around the WWII era, about half remain today. 181 came to AirVenture for the 75th anniversary celebration.

“We have never had that many Piper Cubs here on the field at one time, so it’s really cool to see that much yellow,” said Frautschy.

And why yellow?

“Old man Piper, when he was looking for for a color, looked for the cheapest he could find,” said Krog.

This color came with the right price, 75 years later it’s known as “cub yellow.”

The plane is also known for a few other features.

The cub wasn’t built for comfort, it’s difficult to get in and out of and once you’re up in the air, it’s a little windy, but pilots say they love to fly it anyway.

“They’re noisy, they’re cold, everything vibrates in them and they’re the sweetest, most fun airplane you will ever fly,” said Krog.

A statement at least 180 other aviators agree with.” via Happy 75th birthday to the Piper Cub.

July 25, 2012 6

Why is the Queen still revered?

The ever controversial Niall O’Dowd writes this:

If the Queen of England were an elected position Elizabeth II would have been forced out long ago.

Her sixty-year reign has coincided with the total loss of the British Empire and a deeply reduced place for Britain in the world.

Just consider 1953, the year she came to the throne.

It was still the aftermath of the Second World War and Britain was first among all countries in Europe.

The detested Germans were defeated and partitioned and their economy and country seemingly in ruins.

Fast forward 60 years and the Germans are running Europe again and Britain is back to being sick man of Europe along with Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Ireland of course.

They hardly have a voice in European affairs which are now overseen by France and Germany basically.

Back in 1953 the new Queen oversaw an empire that governed vast tracts of land in Africa, Asia, Europe, and elsewhere on the globe.

During her reign the British were reduced to fighting Argentina over an utterly nondescript island called Malvinas/Falklands and playing second fiddle to American forces just about everywhere.

The decline and fall of the British Empire under Elizabeth in another era would have resulted in a trial and the Tower of London for a goodly spell methinks.” Get more here: Why the Queen who lost the British Empire is still revered — Elizabeth II lucky she’s not locked in the Tower of London | Periscope Niall O’Dowd | IrishCentral.

I’m not sure I have a retort…

A Day of Jubilee (blogs.the-american-interest.com)
Queen Elizabeth’s 21st Birthday Speech From South African [VIDEO] (socialitelife.com)
Republics maybe, but no quarrel with the Queen (caribbean360.com)
For Queen Elizabeth, a Google doodle of diamonds and doggies – Christian Science Monitor (csmonitor.com)
Queen Elizabeth Ii and The British Royal Family (socyberty.com)

June 4, 2012 1

A Thank You to Our Veterans

Michael Hyatt writes:

“Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a day we set aside to commemorate those who have died in the service of the military. It was first enacted to honor those in the Union Army who died in the American Civil War. After the first World War, it was expanded to include American casualties of any war or military action.

I have never had the privilege of serving in the military. However, I am profoundly grateful for those who have.

In the U.S., I fear we have come to take our national security for granted. The tragic events of 9/11 were a wake-up call. The fact we have not had another terrorist attack on U.S. soil is a testimony to the brave men and women who work tirelessly to protect our freedoms both here and around the world.” via A Thank You to Our Veterans | Michael Hyatt.

May 28, 2012 0

Pope John Paul II born; This Day in History

“On May 18, 1920, Karol Jozef Wojtyla is born in the Polish town of Wadowice, 35 miles southwest of Krakow. Wojtyla went on to become Pope John Paul II, history’s most well-traveled pope and the first non-Italian to hold the position since the 16th century. After high school, the future pope enrolled at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University, where he studied philosophy and literature and performed in a theater group. During World War II, Nazis occupied Krakow and closed the university, forcing Wojtyla to seek work in a quarry and, later, a chemical factory. By 1941, his mother, father, and only brother had all died, leaving him the sole surviving member of his family.

Although Wojtyla had been involved in the church his whole life, it was not until 1942 that he began seminary training. When the war ended, he returned to school at Jagiellonian to study theology, becoming an ordained priest in 1946. He went on to complete two doctorates and became a professor of moral theology and social ethics. On July 4, 1958, at the age of 38, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow by Pope Pius XII. He later became the city’s archbishop, where he spoke out for religious freedom while the church began the Second Vatican Council, which would revolutionize Catholicism. He was made a cardinal in 1967, taking on the challenges of living and working as a Catholic priest in communist Eastern Europe. Once asked if he feared retribution from communist leaders, he replied, “I’m not afraid of them. They are afraid of me.” via Pope John Paul II born — History.com This Day in History — 5/18/1920.

Truly one of the great men of our time. I’m currently reading a book about him and Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan called The President, The Pope and The Prime Minister which I highly recommend if you’re interested in recent history…