Wow, it felt so good today receiving a post card from George Koskimaki of the 101st Airborne. George is a prominent author of several books including Hells Highway, which I am currently reading. I guess I'm now on the official mailing list for the Michigan Chapter of the 101st Airborne Luncheons. It is quite an honor to be invited to their luncheon's and I am really looking forward to my first meeting on Wednesday.

Art Morneweck and I were extended the invitation by Don Burgett, prominent author and member of the 101st Airborne 506th PIR, when we met him at his house in December of 2004. Art was able to make it to the meeting last month, but I was unable to attend because of mother nature and the snow factor.

According to the postcard, they had one of their best gatherings last month with 44 in attendance. Art got a mention and it also said he will bring a friend (yours truly) from Alger, MI this month.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Here's a super link on the History Channel site that gives great tips for preserving your document, letters, photos, etc.

NOTE: One of our forum members recently discovered that the link I had here is no longer functional.

So here's some new ones for everyone:

http://loricase.com/faq.html

http://www.kshs.org/p/preserving-books-documents-and-papers/12261

http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/articles/paper_e.asp

This is an editorial that was copied from Military History Magazine. I think it's a great thing to remind ourselves from time to time that while Normandy was certainly important and a pivotal point in WWII for the Allies, it was by no means the only campaign in the month of June 1944. It's important for us to remember the other events occuring in the ETO and other theatres of action all over the world such as the Pacific and China-Burma-India. Just ask a vet that lived through it. Food for thought!

: A terrible omission

The Omission From the New W.W.II Memorial

Today I went to visit the new World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. I got an unexpected history lesson. Since I'm a baby boomer, I was one of the youngest in the crowd. Most were the age of my parents, veterans of "the greatest war" with their families. It was a beautiful day, and people were smiling and happy to be there. Hundreds of us milled around the memorial, reading the inspiring words of Ike and Truman that are engraved there.

On the Pacific side of the memorial, a group of us gathered to read the words President Roosevelt used to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941-- a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked."

One woman read the words aloud:

" With confidence in our armed forces, with the un bounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph."

But as she read, she was suddenly angry. "Wait a minute," she said.

"They left out the end of the quote. They left out the most important part. Roosevelt said: "so help us God."

"You're probably right," her husband said. "We're not supposed to say things like that now."

"I know I'm right," she insisted. "I remember the speech" The two shook their heads sadly and walked away.

Listening to their conversation, I thought to myself, "Well, it has been 50 years. She's probably forgotten."

But she was right.

I went home and pulled out the book my book club is reading. It's "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley. It's all about Iwo Jima. I haven't gotten too far in the book. It's tough to read because it's ! a graphic description of the battles in the Pacific.

But right there it was on page 58. Roosevelt's speech to the nation It ends "so help us God."

The people who edited out that part of the speech when they engraved it on the memorial could have fooled me. I was born after the war. But they couldn't fool the people who were there. Roosevelt's words are engraved on their hearts.

WHO GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE WORDS OF HISTORY?????????

Lynette just sent this to me. Latest pics of Ben from Mosel, Iraq.

Stay safe boys and come home soon!

Time for a little sporting fun. Nice swing there soldier!