I’ve been crazy about History since my Ancient Egypt phase in the sixth grade. WWII and Military History took me over in high school, and I combined my writing endeavors with my historical ones to bring history to life. My debut Historical-Fiction Novel, “All the Lights Above Us,” following five different women from different backgrounds as they struggle to survive D-Day, was released in May, 2022. Representation – Lindsay Guzzardo at Martin… Read More
May 2, 1946, started as a normal day on the job for William Miller. Well, at least as normal as any day could be on “the Rock” – what most people called Alcatraz Prison back then. Situated on a tiny island just off the coast of San Francisco, Alcatraz was a harrowing prospect for federal criminals. It boasted zero successful escapes, although many inmates had tried. The guards easily stopped and apprehended… Read More
In the summer of 2015, in a silent boneyard in Wisconsin, there sat an abandoned old aircraft. Like the rest of the planes there, its original use had been long-forgotten. It hadn’t graced the sky in decades. It was corroded and covered with rust, inside and out. Only a rotting skeleton in a valley of dry bones remained. Little did anyone know, this silent airplane had an amazing story. On a cloudy… Read More
On a chilly night in 1903, two men sat before a crackling campfire in the Bridal Veil Meadow of Yosemite Park. The stars shone down on them, and the surrounding pine trees whistled in the night breeze. The sound of waterfalls soothed their tired minds. One of these men was John Muir, a famous mountaineer and naturalist. The other was President Theodore Roosevelt. The story of this famous camping trip started in… Read More
On a cool morning in April of 2016, I visited a small prairie in the wilderness of Virginia. A wide-open field of grass sloped into a deep ravine. Blooming purple and white Dogwoods whispered in the breeze and showered the place with petals. Butterflies flitted everywhere – especially Tiger Swallowtails, their yellow and black wings a marked contrast with the fresh green grass. Standing among such beauty, you’d never think so much… Read More
Twenty-four years ago, a man named Kevin Wisniewski arrived at the annual EAA airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He stood out in the crowd of thousands, because he came dressed as an officer from World War II. Every piece of his gear was authentic, part of a lifelong collection. He wondered around the displays of World War II planes in the show’s famed “Warbird Alley,” and his outfit enthralled onlookers. Many asked to… Read More
A cold, unfeeling marble stone That’s all there is for the soldier unknown Lost in a graveyard as big as the sea My love comes looking but won’t find me Because all I have is a white marble stone And all it says is “soldier unknown” I fought like the heroes, we were the same But I got no medal, they don’t even know my name I was just one body in… Read More
His story is one of the most famous from the American Civil War, and it spawned a monument in Fredericksburg, Virginia, that still stands today. His actions atop a blood-soaked battlefield captured imaginations and hearts even in the modern era. This is the story of Richard Rowland Kirkland, otherwise known as the Angel of Marye’s Heights. The tale first appeared in the Charleston News and Courier in 1880. Written by former Confederate… Read More
The Fremont Culture – Lost Tribe of Utah In Mid-May, I found myself in beautiful Moab, Utah. The state has a pull for me – the red rock canyons, the wide open fields, the deep blue skies and the snow-capped mountains. Everywhere you look, it’s beautiful. This time, while hiking through the Arches National Park, I got to learn about another gem of Utah. This one is harder to see among the… Read More