World War II
I Don’t Hate Nobody Because Life Is So Short
“When I became a citizen it was one of the happiest days in my life . . . [the US] is the best country in the world, and I’m part of it.” – Tibor Rubin He survived more than a year in a Nazi concentration camp, was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in…
Read MoreThree Men, Two Wars, and One Classroom
During wartime and peace, the power of an inspirational mentor can never be underestimated . . . One such mentor, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient once referred to by his commanding officer as “the bravest man I ever saw,” was a math professor and US Navy chaplain. The Early Days at Holy Cross A…
Read MoreThe Days of Flak, Fire, and Lost Friends
Born on February 22, 1920, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, George Washington “Buck” Perry is the personification of “The Greatest Generation.” A dedicated family man, patriot, and veteran of two wars, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in 1939, flew 35 missions over Germany as a B-17 turret gunner during WWII, and served as…
Read MoreJimmy Stewart’s Wonderful Life
With the holiday season once again upon us, it’s time to share a story I wrote a year ago about Jimmy Stewart. I’ve always admired the Academy-award winning actor for his role in the classic Christmas movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” and for his service as WWII bomber pilot. But it wasn’t until I started researching his…
Read MoreHonor, Courage, Commitment
He never forgot the sight. Passing through Pearl Harbor on his way to the Marshall Islands during WWII, 17-year-old J. Robert “Bob” Lunney witnessed, for the first time in his life, the carnage of war: capsized and damaged ships, oil-stained water, and battle-scarred buildings. As a young sailor from the Bronx, his brief time at…
Read MoreAn Angel in Fatigues
“Now don’t worry, you won’t be in any wars . . .” – US Army recruiter’s promise to Ruby Bradley in 1933 In a little-known chapter of WWII and Korean War history, thousands of women served and sacrificed as nurses. Although often overlooked, their expertise, dedication, and courage under fire were an important part of…
Read MoreDoolittle Raiders: Mission Completed
Seventy-seven years ago today, one of the most storied and dangerous bombing missions of WWII began. The Doolittle Raiders, as the 80 men in the top-secret mission were called, were on their way to strike a blow at the heart of the Japanese empire: Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, as the first of 16 Army…
Read MoreEnter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
Born in 1926, Julius W. Becton Jr., the first of two children in a proud family from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, was the kind of student that teachers and coaches loved. He was polite, smart, athletic, and driven. It’s what his parents expected. Growing up in Bryn Mawr Courts, an apartment complex where his father worked…
Read MoreWork, Fight, Sacrifice!
On December 7, 1941, a day that would live in infamy, Pauline Peyton Forney, a mother of three, including a son who was serving in the Marines, knew her life was about to change. With over 2,300 Americans dead, more than a thousand wounded, and the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet crippled, President Roosevelt would soon…
Read MoreA Marine for All Time
John Stevens, the steely-eyed, tireless Marine who fought in World War II and Korea and played a major role in establishing the Korean War Memorial Foundation’s memorial to Korean War veterans at the Presidio, passed away on May 25, 2021, just four weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday. During his 23 years as a Marine,…
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