1945 Victory in Europe

V-E day marked the end of WWII.  This occurred a decade before my parents were born.  I wonder what my grandparents were doing - Where was Grandpa stationed?

What was Grandma doing when she heard the news? Did she believe it was real?

How long after this day was Grandpa able to come home?

what was their reunion like?

How did Great-Grandma Cora handle knowing that only 3 of her 4 sons would be coming home alive?

I hope to one day know the answers to these questions.  I'll have to ask Mom if her parents ever told her about it.

There has been a huge campaign in the neighboring county to cover the cities with American Flags to honor veterans on this historic day. The pictures I've seen so far are beautiful,

God bless our Vets!

Update:

I talked to my mom this afternoon. She said her parents didn't talk about the war much, but she did know that my grandpa was on a shipand my grandma was visiting her aunt in California when the victory was announced. My grandparents had been married for about a year.  I don't know how long it took Grandpa to get home, but my aunt was born the following year.

Coming back

I'm not sure what I was thinking back in 2012, but I was ambitious. For awhile, anyway. I would like to get back to this blog, though, because I feel I can learn a lot from writing about historical events.

I won't promise to blog every day, but I'll strive for frequency.

catch up - September 15 - Old Glory

1775 - An early and unofficial American flag was raised by Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Mott after the seizing of Fort Johnson from the British. The flag was dark blue with the white word "Liberty" spelled on it.

I love our flag!  I love seeing the flag billowing in the wind.  The beautiful red, white, and blue shining in the sun.  I also love for all it stands.

catch-up September 14 - Oh Say, Can You See?

September 14  -  1814 - Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star-Spangled Banner," a poem originally known as "Defense of Fort McHenry," after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, MD, during the War of 1812. The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the show I directed this summer is that part of the show was the Star Spangled Banner.  My then-four-year-old niece still knows every word.  It's great to hear her sing it.  She can also recite the Pledge of Allegiance and all five military hymns.  It's awesome.  On the 4th of July I got to stand between her and my nephew at the Stadium of Fire concert as they presented the flags of each branch.  It was so touching to hear them sing the great anthems of our country.  God Bless America!

catch-up September 13 - You will have a great day.

My trip to New York was lots of fun, but didn't allow much blogging time.  I'm home now, back to work, and somewhat awake.  Here are the days I missed:

September 13 -  Fortune Cookie Day
From holidayinsights.com  :  This day celebrates the creation of the Fortune Cookie. What a great cookie. A little slip of paper inside of it brings you good luck, a whimsical saying, or a philosophical thought. (we favor good luck...we can use all we can get).
Its pretty clear that the Fortune Cookie did not originate in China. Rather, it was invented in California. There appears to be some uncertainty over who invented it. Some historical references suggest it was Makoto Hagiwara who invented the fortune cookie at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco in 1914. Others believe that David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company, was the first to make fortune cookies in Los Angeles in the 1920s.

I enjoy the randomness of fortune cookie messages.  We had Chinese takeout for lunch at work a few days before my trip to New York.  My fortune was "You will travel to many exotic places in your lifetime."  I love it!  The perfect fortune for an airline employee. : )   I slipped the paper into my ID holder behind my employee ID badge.  It makes me smile.

Do you keep fortunes from Fortune Cookies?  Have you gotten odd or funny fortunes?  

catch-up - September 12 - Here, Lassie!

My trip to New York was lots of fun, but didn't allow much blogging time.  I'm home now, back to work, and somewhat awake, so I'm backtracking a bit today. 

September 12 - 1954 - "Lassie" made its television debut on CBS. The last show aired on September 12, 1971.

I don't remember watching "Lassie" much as a kid.  But who doesn't know about Lassie?  This show that hasn't aired original episodes for 39 years is still referred to in movies, tv shows, etc.  It makes me wonder what tv characters that are popular now will still be loved 39 years from now.

September 11 - the day the world changed

2001 - In the U.S., four airliners were hijacked and were intentionally crashed. Two airliners hit the World Trade Center, which collapsed shortly after, in New York City, NY. One airliner hit the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Another airliner crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. About 3,000 people were killed.

I'm writing today's post from a hotel room in Long Island City, New York, looking over the Manhattan Skyline.  The Empire State Building is lit up in Red, White, and Blue.  The sun is setting, and the scene is breathtaking.  Nine years ago today the skyline changed drastically.  I know that I will never forget that day. 

I think about 9/11 every day.  Working for an airline, I've dealt with the changes and the challenges that have come from that day.  The events of 9/11 changed our world. 

My friend Chris worked at the world trade center.  He's wearing his ID today.  He should have been there, but had decided to go in a few hours late that morning.  He was on the subway on his way to work when the plane hit the building. 


I was working the overnight shift, usually getting home from work around 7:00 in the morning.  Business had been slow all night, and around 3:30am operations started letting people go home early. I turned down the offer, but about 4:30 had a really strong feeling that I needed to go home.  I called and the offer was still open, so I left.  My normal morning routine was to watch the morning news, and then go to bed.  For some reason that morning I went right to bed.  Around noon I woke up, and that's when I learned of the events of that morning. 

I still remember feeling numb.  Feeling nothing and everything all at once.  As I look over the skyline right now the feeling comes back.  It's still unbelievable.

I'm glad I got to come to New York this weekend, to be here on this day.  The light towers are on, and I can see them from my room.  The lights reach the clouds.  It's beautiful.  A great tribute to the thousands that lost their lives that day.