September 3 On this day, Britain and France officially declared war against Germany in 1939. Germany invaded Poland on September 1st and through their “lightning” attack, reduced the country to rubble in a short time. For the month of September, I will highlight World War II stories and more – including an interview with author Sarah Sundin, a World War II historical fiction writer.
An incredible journey…
The story of how the infamous B-17 Bomber ended up off the highway in Milwaukie, Oregon…(excerpts from thebomber.com) While Lacey’s retired war bird is a familiar landmark in Milwaukie, Oregon, few realize the incredible chain of events that actually landed it there. As a young flier and gasoline station owner, he had a vision of a novel combination of both. His subsequent quest for a retired war plane took him to the U.S. Air Force’s Altus Air Base in Oklahoma. The stranger from Oregon told them he wanted to buy the plane to be used as an advertising gimmick back home. Put it up over his gas station, he said....
Living History
For the typical resident of the Pacific Northwest, Fort Vancouver is a distant memory from your third-grade field trip. The tall, towering palisades, the blacksmith shop and carpentry shop. Then, that tall bastion in the corner you can climb all the way up. For me, this National Park Service site is a treasure. For two summers, I worked as a fee collector (wearing the whole uniform getup! – Please, hold the Smokey-the-Bear jokes – that is the Forest Service, folks, not the NPS). In watching tour after tour, family after family enjoying the exhibits and demonstrations, I realized the true value of living history. Reading history from a book is...