[Jeanette-Marie Mirich] The Helmet
My father thought sideways. It happens. Probably stemmed from the shrapnel imbedded in his head at a hillside in Italy.
[Mary Davis] Wild West Peacekeeping
Law enforcement in the old Wild West was spotty at best, and the line between lawman and outlaw often blurred. Peacekeepers were frequently paid very little or nothing and needed to have a regular (full-time) job to eat and put a roof over their heads. For this reason—and others—those in charge of upholding the law…
[Jessica Sly] Wandering the Emerald Isle
March brings with it several things: March Madness (I’m more of a football girl, myself). The start of springtime. And good ol’ St. Paddy’s Day. Now, there’s a really neat Christian backstory in the life of St. Patrick the man, but when I think of St. Patrick’s Day, it floods me with fond memories from…
[Linda Thompson] At What Price Freedom?
Today marks the 79th anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that propelled our nation into history’s bloodiest war. Looking back, I have to say stories from WWII have captivated me from an early age—probably from the day I first picked up The Diary of Anne Frank in school. I also remember…
[Dana McNeely] How to Handle a Drought
The specter of death walked the land of Israel. After three years without rain, streams ran dry and wells became mud. Crops failed and food supplies dwindled. The effects of the drought gripped nearly everyone, from the poorest laborer to the king and queen in their palace. But in Zarephath, a Canaanite city far away,…
[Linda Thompson] Reflections on V-J 75 and WWII’s End: Why Is America Worth Preserving?
Reinforcements wade ashore at Saipan, June 1944 Today marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of a momentous occasion. When the Emperor of Japan announced his nation’s surrender on August 15, 1945, the deadliest war in history finally drew to a close. And yet, given the challenges we face in the here and now, I am concerned this…
[Janalyn Voigt] Most Popular Cookie of the 1900s | Tasting History, part 3
The United States acquired the Panama Canal. The Wright brothers made the first sustained flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The San Francisco earthquake destroyed about four square miles and left 500 people dead. America declared war on Germany, entering World War I. This was the face of the world in the 1900s. With soldiers…
[Linda Thompson] Honoring Charles McGee and the Tuskegee Airmen
For Juneteenth, let’s honor outstanding American Charles McGee and reflect on the legacy of WWII’s tenacious Tuskegee Airmen, who fought and won a pitched battle against prejudice.
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[Janalyn Voigt] The Irish in America
On St. Patrick’s Day, Americans of Irish descent have something to boast about. A smidgeon of Irish blood is all it takes. How times have changed. Attitudes toward the Irish were quite different in Wild West days.