This page is about honoring some heroes and heroics from our country. Growing up, my Saturday mornings were mostly baseball games or yard work, followed by lunch and Saturday afternoon movies, which generally consisted of World War II movies, westerns and comedy duos like Hope & Crosby, Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis. It’s amazing how I look back and see how much those three genres have impacted my life in the area of entertainment. To this day, I am still a fan of all three!
I have developed into a pretty decent WWII amature historian: lots of books, movies, documentaries, museums, locations and artifacts. I used to say “I’m a fan of WWII”. But that didn’t sound right. Someone cannot be a fan of all of that death and destruction, where an estimated 55 million people died, mostly civilians. Millions more were displaced and wounded physically or emotionally. So I analyzed, what was I attracted to? What I found myself drawn to, in the midst of the destruction were the heros and heroics.
I was drawn to the average person who became a HERO. Not just the soldier who won a medal, but also the many people who did amazing things behind the front lines, or back home in a factory. I was drawn to the HEROIC things that were done in industry, building thousands of ships, planes and weapons, the towns that gave up their young people, or fed servicemen and women who came through their town. And of course, the inventions and innovations that were created.
I read that WWII is the most documented event in the history of the world. Think of it: it was such a worldwide event for so many years involving so many people. Movies, print and personal stories from all those people make it the most documented event in history.
I will attempt to post here some of the people I have met, places I have been to, and amazing facts I have discovered.
This will not just be about WWII. You will see other events as well, including Lewis and Clark. But through it, you will find the heros and the heroics that are worth noting.
…lest we forget their sacrifice!!!
Let us begin with the Revolutionary War.
originally posted August 2017 at seedofhope.blogspot.com
While visiting Camps and Directors in the New England states, I found myself driving through Massachusetts towards Maine when something clicked in my mind about Lexington and Concord where the “shot was fired that was heard around the world.” I did a quick maps check and found out I was only a short distance from the “start of the revolutionary war.” Naturally I had to stop by and check out such an auspicious place in our country’s history.
I can’t say it was holy ground, like Israel might be, but it was patriotic ground for sure. I truly felt something special, something heart warming and something deeply appreciative about standing on the battleground.
Below are few pictures. If you get a chance to visit Lexington MA. please do so and let the land and the story give you an American perspective!
Oldest Revolutionary War Monument in America, 1799
“They nobly dared to be free!!”
Statue of Captain John Parker who led the militia and voiced these incredible words to start the revolution…
WWII Connections
There are few people I’m interested in getting my picture taken with, few autographs I’m willing to seek. But those who have served, especially in combat, have all done some remarkable things. They are heroes to me, and I will always appreciate who they are, and what they have done.
SGT Vincent Silva
While at the Singing Flag in Concord on July 4th 2011, they announced there was a Veteran from the Bataan Death March attending the show. Well, there aren’t too many survivors left from the Bataan Death March, so I wanted to meet him. I caught his attention right after the show and we spoke briefly. His daughters helped him do most of the communicating because of his advanced age. I was able to get my picture taken with him, and obtained a copy of his short book. He spent 3 ½ years as a Japanese prisoner and his book chronicles his life prior to WWI and during WWII. He is another great American hero.
Bataan Death March
After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines the U.S.-Filipino army were forced to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. For three months, they held out despite support. On April 9,1942 with his forces crippled by starvation and disease, 75,000 troops surrendered at Bataan.
The Filipinos and Americans were forced to march 65 miles from the Bataan Peninsula. The exact figures are unknown, but it is believed that thousands of troops died because of the brutality of their captors, who starved and beat the marchers, and bayoneted those too weak to walk.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march
Ploesti Refinery Bombing
In June 2011, our family was visiting a local site and there was a couple dressed in WWII uniforms sitting in a totally refurbished WWII jeep. Well, I couldn’t pass this up, so I stopped and talked to the man and found out he runs a non-profit organization called Noble Cause Foundation in Costa Mesa refurbishing WWII vehicles and telling the heroic stories of WWII. He was a boy in Romania, and was a survivor of the Ploesti oil refinery bombing raids by the allies. Many American Airmen were shot down over Romania and Yugoslavia, and were hidden by the locals at great risk to their own lives. I had just finished reading about this story in a book titled, “The Forgotten 500”. It was great to meet someone who was actually there and could tell the stories first-hand. I appreciate all that he and his family sacrificed for the airman they rescued.
Louie Zamperini
On Memorial Day weekend 2011, we visited a local church that had a guest speaker and WWII veteran and hero, Louie Zamperini. He spoke briefly of being shot down over the ocean, floating helplessly for over 40 days, and then becoming a Japanese prisoner for 2 ½ years. His story is chronicled in two amazing books, “Devil at My Heels” and “Unbroken” both are amazing. In 2014 Angelina Jolie Directed the feature film, “Unbroken.” This movie only covers Louie’s life up to his release from the POW camp.
In 2015 I was at a track meet with Jonathan and found this plaque. This was. the Track where Louis ran for Torrance High School.
In 2017 the Zamperini family contacted Royal Family KIDS and inquired about using the Zamperini story to encourage children. I jumped at the chance to connect with the Zamperini family and began a wonderful journey with both Luke and Lisa Zamperini. Thus far, we have collaborated on giving out the Zamperini comic book to RFK Kids, turning the comic book into a movie for our Mentoring Program, and telling the Zamperini story as part of our Camp drama.
Here is chapter 1 of the Comic book movie.
While working together on the Zamperini stories, Luke and Lisa mentioned that the movie sequel was in production. This second movie titled, “Unbroken, Path to Redemption” would cover Louie’s life after coming home from the war. To many people, this was the part of the story that really needed to be told. It was after the war that Louie’s life falls apart from PTSD and alcohol. Louie is on the verge of divorce when he gets saved at the Billy Graham revival. Louie goes on to live a productive life and helps troubled youth for the rest of his life. Truly a great story. Since the second movie was wrapping up and they needed some extras for the Tent Revival scene, I talked my way into being an extra on the set. What a fun experience.
