Finally, it’s over! Being a basketball fanatic from the state of Indiana, I’ve been up til midnight the last two evenings watching the Butler men and Notre Dame women both lose. Oh, the agony. But, at least now I can get back to my regular routine. Hey, in keeping with the Chambois, France / Falaise [...]
Hey, I just realized that we’ve got a Falaise Gap / Chambois, France / World War II theme running this week. Let’s keep it going. This week’s Letters From War Wednesday is courtesy of Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight Eisenhower. In August 1944, with combined American, British and Polish forces closing in on the retreating German [...]
It’s April, and tax time for procrastinators everywhere in the States, including the History Junkie. This past weekend, I was shuffling through stacks of papers, looking for that golden receipt that might save HJ some cash when I came across another random note from my old pal, Hobert. It was a October 1944 newspaper article [...]
Monday morning, and time again for the 90th Infantry Division Picture of the Week. This shot comes to us from Chambois, France where combined American and Polish forces soundly defeated the retreating Germans at the Falaise Gap in August 1944. I love dissecting these old pictures. The vehicle looks to be a Sd.Kfz 251 German [...]
On my way to the Final Four in Houston. No time for the Weekly History Wrap-Up this Friday. Hah! Got you! April Fools! Yes, it will be my pleasure to watch Butler University win it all from the comfort of my own living room … and to do the Weekly History Wrap-Up. First off, the [...]
The History Junkie is always learning new things. Love it! Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, better known as “NKP” or “Naked Fanny,” was the northern most station in Thailand, situated just across the Mekong River from Takhet, Laos. During the Vietnam War, NKP proved vital to the American cause. For years, the base [...]
Charles Fall served in the American Civil War with the 26th Michigan. In May 1864, General Grant launched his Overland Campaign. Opposing armies first clashed at the Battle of the Wilderness, then met outside Spotsylvania Courthouse. Fall and his 26th Michigan found themselves at the center of it all. On May 12, 1864, at dawn, [...]
Hard to believe, but it’s almost been two years since BOOTPRINTS author and World War II 90th Infantry Division veteran, Hobert Winebrenner passed away. I still think of him often. He was truly one of a kind. I first met Hobert in 2002. Over the next seven years, I saw him almost every week. No [...]
If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m really interested in the Battle of the Bulge. I love this shot of Bastogne, Belgium shortly after the liberation of the city from the Germans. Looks a little busy, huh?
Bring on the basketball!!!!!! But first, the Weekly History Wrap-Up. Leeland Davidson, a 95-year-old World War II vet, recently discovered that he’s not a U.S. citizen. Think we could cut him some slack? Veterans Today posted an interesting interview with Helen Thomas, former dean of the Washington Press Corps. The Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives [...]