There were approximately 87,000 U.S. Servicemembers stationed on Oahu on the morning of December 7, 1941, when the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a surprise attack on military installations on the island. As of the end of 2024, fewer than 15 survivors of the attack were known to be alive. We are approaching the 84th anniversary … Continue reading Infamy
A Bird Brain Birthday
"What would you like for your birthday?" I didn't really have much interest in this particular birthday. It's a milestone, the year that you are bombarded with Medicare supplement ads and other unwelcome reminders of achieving "Senior Status". The last time I was excited about being a senior was 1981. We won't go there. The … Continue reading A Bird Brain Birthday
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Connoisseurus Subaruus or Breakfast is Served
I walked out to the car at the start of my Tuesday morning last week. I was planning on a four-and-a-half-mile walk around Lake Mayer in Chatham County, Georgia. I was also prepping for a trip north to a family wedding, so I planned a haircut and picking up a tux on my to-do list … Continue reading Connoisseurus Subaruus or Breakfast is Served
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Letters From Home: World War I
I had an opportunity to visit the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, last week. It houses the most extensive collection of artifacts from the Great War in the world. I have previously written about family who served in The Great War in both the Army and the Navy. I … Continue reading Letters From Home: World War I
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Medium Format Negative
Dad sent out a text to the family thread on March 10th. Mom's birthday was coming up, the first since we lost her last August. Since then, our family has been dealing with a year of firsts. I received my first solo singing of "Happy Birthday" on my birthday in November. Up until now, it … Continue reading Medium Format Negative
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Regina Ellen and the Cyclone
I received the following text from Dad on Monday, August 26: "Mom and I loved riding the Cyclone back in the day. Last Thursday, the cables malfunctioned, and that roller coaster has been suspended indefinitely." The "Last Thursday" in Dad's text was August 22, 2024. This is as Dickensian as I can be. You, dear … Continue reading Regina Ellen and the Cyclone
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The Few, The Proud, The Centenarian Marine
I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show any human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it for I shall not pass this way again. Stephen Grellet I immediately said yes when Jeanne asked … Continue reading The Few, The Proud, The Centenarian Marine
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Piety and Chaos
Like many others, I struggle daily to understand what is before me. Do I go with piety or chaos? How does one choose? Just so you know, I am playing Wordle here. We obviously have not met if you thought you were getting something deep and existential from me. "Piety" and "chaos" are my openers … Continue reading Piety and Chaos
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1950 Census: I Think They Missed a Brownstone
On April 1st, 2022, the National Archives released the 1950 Census. A law passed in 1978 requires 72 years before the census is released to the public. The official count date for the 1950 Census was 1 April 1950. Because of the need to return and gather information from people that the census taker missed … Continue reading 1950 Census: I Think They Missed a Brownstone
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May 6th is “Andrew Turner Day!”
Who? Nineteen years ago, Kernersville, North Carolina, proclaimed May 6th, 2003, "Andrew Turner Day." The town is nestled in Forsyth County between Winston-Salem and Greensboro. It is a quiet, unassuming place just north of I-40. It is the boyhood home of Andrew Turner. Andrew Turner is a 1995 Forsyth Country Day School graduate, a 1999 … Continue reading May 6th is “Andrew Turner Day!”
Michael's Monologue 