In these parts, General Mad Anthony Wayne’s a pretty big deal. After all, it’s not called Fort Wayne for nothing! And as most of you know, the History Junkie loves a good soldier’s story. Imagine my excitement when I came across an obscure firsthand account of one of General Wayne’s men, George Royer. At Fort [...]
Eddie Wells served in Vietnam with the 321st Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division. This July 27, 1968 note home speaks of his time up north. “Well, we finally moved. We moved way up by the DMZ. We are on top of a mountain. There are mountains all around. The only way anything can be brought into [...]
With North Africa now in the news on a daily basis, it got me thinking of a former American base in the region. Kagnew Station was established at Asmara, Eritrea, on the Horn of Africa in 1943. Through the Cold War, Kagnew Station served as a key intelligence installation. Due in large part to the [...]
I had three different NCAA Tournament brackets before the weekend started. Now they’re all wadded up, in the corner where they belong. It’s Monday, and back to business. The 90th Infantry Division Picture of the Week features a shot of Fontoy, France. Interestingly, Hobert Winebrenner, in his book, BOOTPRINTS, tells of his unit, the 3rd [...]
These staggered starts are making it difficult for the History Junkie to get anything done. Time to suck it up and get tough. I’ve minimized the game to do a little Weekly History Wrap-Up. Robert Eisenman has written an interesting piece on the Power of Ultimatums, past and present. Look no further than the War [...]
With the recent natural disaster in Japan still very much on everyone’s heart, a monster World War II storm came to mind. In October 1945, a typhoon hit off the coast of Okinawa. It became known as “Typhoon Louise.” Seaman Dalles King was out to sea, aboard LST 133. “We had 80-foot swells—mountains of water!” [...]
Lt. Robert McHolland, from Hurley, Missouri, landed at Utah Beach with the 90th Infantry Division in early June 1944. His introduction to World War II came quickly, among the infamous hedgerows of Normandy. He first served as a platoon leader with Company M of the 358th Infantry. Later that summer, McHolland would be promoted to [...]
Last Friday afternoon, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake rocked Japan. The resulting tsunami no doubt dealt even more destruction to the northeastern coastline. The city of Sendai, population one million, felt the full brunt of the blow. Our prayers are with the people of Japan. The area is certainly familiar to many American veterans. For some, [...]
Did you all get enough basketball this weekend? Unfortunately, both my teams lost on Friday night. Irish and Boilers gone. Maybe they’re saving themselves for the big show. But it’s a new week. Monday, and time for the 90th Infantry Division Picture of the Week. Colonel Eustis L. Poland served as the Chief of Staff [...]
It’s Friday again. Being a Hoosier and a huger college basketball fan (Boiler Up!), it might just be my favorite time of the year. And time for the Weekly History Wrap-Up. Looks like Libya has opened up into a full-blown civil war. How about a minute-by-minute account. I really … really love old cemeteries. The [...]