My blog builder asked me for a sample blog. I had no idea what my first blog was going to entail; did I need to have him ask for a sample one in addition to wondering what to do write in my No. 1 blog? Hmm. Let’s see. Suddenly, this became easy.
First I thought of Gene Siciliano. He was one of five brothers who entered World War II. Six days ago, but in 1944, Gene wrote in his letter to one of the other 10 men in my The WWII Chain Letter Gang book that he received word that he was going overseas. He had to share it. Here’s a mental practice for you: You’re Gene. You just got the same notice. How would you feel? What would go through your mind? Do you remember the night before having to go to your first kindergarten class? Intermediate school? High school? College? Do you think it might be all those feelings, and added to that the possibility of being killed? Or even injured, a fear which might be worse having to lay there hidden, maybe, in pain until and if rescued? Although, nowadays, being gunned down can happen in school too. But come on, folks, you know what I mean.
Eighty years ago, Gene was faced with that situation. And guess what? Unlike a young grammar school child, all he had to do was pick up the paper and read that the very day before, England was attacked by Germany’s latest killing machine, a V1 Flying Bomb. This “secret weapon,” Gene no doubt continued to read about, was inflicted on its victims until October when their launch site was destroyed by the Allies.
Gene wasn’t alone, remember. Another of our men was on the Thames the day before D-Day. John Pandolfe was an Underwater Demolition team member. He had his specialty work to do, and in an early June letter he spoke about what was going through the minds of the men around him. Yet, another of the 11 men also landed at Normandy, the date not being so clear.
This first blog won’t go on anymore except to remind you that the first day of summer is (or was!) today and while some of us might be complaining of the heat, the men of those days were complaining about a different kind of heat, the heat of war.
Writing a blog now I’m hoping will be a fun thing for me to do. I like to write short things that readers will enjoy. Hopefully I can make them automatically sent out to subscribers on a list. Please sign up if you will be interested in receiving a blog from me. These early blogs or kind of newsletters will have to do with my World War II book, ones relating to what was going on in WWII at the time of my writing this. Let’s see if my author’s webpage builder can help me build in a place where you can sign in to receive them. Oh, what? You want to know how often? Shall we start with a weekly blog? How’s that! I think I can handle that. I hope you can.
Please take care of yourself and I surely hope you will be looking forward to my bi-weekly blogs.
All Fort Pierce trained men would now be sent to the Pacific and organized as Underwater
Demolition Teams
(Photo dated March 4, 1943)