The Art of War
Even in war, art must go on! Edouard Patte, a Red Cross Inspector, was surprised to find an art studio when he visited Fort McClellan’s...
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War Stories
Saving and sharing the memories of our past before they're lost and gone forever
- Oct 17, 2014
- 3 min
Some Laughable Lyrics from a World at War
Many popular big band songs are featured in Songbird, but others just didn’t quite make the list. During World War II, songwriters used...
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- Sep 26, 2014
- 1 min
Frilly Fashion is Gone with the Wind
In 1939, Gone with the Wind premiered, and women began to wear fuller skirted and more romantic feeling clothing. Nylon stockings were...
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- Aug 8, 2014
- 2 min
War Halts Television Production!
When World War II began, television sets were just emerging onto the scene. Manufacturers were busy figuring out how to make the...
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- Jul 20, 2014
- 1 min
The Jersey Bounce
Oh, how fun it would be to go back in time to a 1940's dance party! Forget a DJ; give me swing dancing and a live orchestra. One of the...
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- Jul 5, 2014
- 1 min
Feasting on the War Front!
Ever wonder what a World War II soldier ate? A soldier at the front lines ate K-rations, which were three individually wrapped boxed...
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- Jun 19, 2014
- 1 min
The Dead Walk at Night - True Radio Entertainment
In the 1940s, radio was entertainment! I asked my grandfather, James Barry, about his favorite radio shows growing up. One of the first...
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- May 30, 2014
- 1 min
General George B. McClellan
Do you know who once called President Abraham Lincoln a “well meaning baboon?" The answer is George B. McClellan, the Civil War General...
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- May 22, 2014
- 2 min
We Can Do It!
Have you ever wondered just what exactly “Rosie the Riveter” did for the war effort? This fictional wartime heroine based on hundreds of...
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- May 15, 2014
- 1 min
Love and War
While World War II produced innumerable soldiers, tanks, and warships, it also produced something else – marriages! With the...
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- May 10, 2014
- 1 min
There are Big Opportunities in the Big City!
When Jason and I talked to older adults at the Fair on the Square a few weeks ago, they all had the same thing to say about Anniston, AL...
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- May 5, 2014
- 1 min
Memories of War Time
Here is another clip form the amazing Mrs. Elsie Wheeler. In this piece, she tells us about meeting her husband after WWII and the time...
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- May 1, 2014
- 1 min
I Won’t Have to Cross Jordan Alone
I have said before that Songbird is a musical in words. The book is full of popular big band music from the 1940s, which I absolutely...
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- Apr 28, 2014
- 1 min
Charles White: Witnessing History
In an earlier post, we learned about the burning of the Alabama Hotel in 1944 and the tragic death of a young war bride. We had the honor...
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- Apr 24, 2014
- 1 min
A Piece of History
I will be in Jacksonville, AL this weekend for the city’s Fair on the Square Living Museum. At my table, I am excited to have my...
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- Apr 17, 2014
- 1 min
Play Ball!
Did you know that Anniston, AL once had its own minor league baseball team? Between 1904 and 1950, Anniston’s baseball team was called...
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- Apr 4, 2014
- 1 min
When Affordable Health Care Truly Was
A new hospital just opened next to our subdivision this week. Fittingly, during my recent research, I read about the first hospitals in...
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- Mar 20, 2014
- 1 min
America’s All-Out Defense Depends Upon Your Common Sense!
“America’s All-Out Defense Depends Upon Your Common Sense!” I love this article published by the Veterans of Foreign Wars during World...
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- Mar 14, 2014
- 2 min
“Who Wouldn't Love You”
As I mentioned in one of my first posts, Songbird is a musical in words. I love the big band music of the 1940's era! Here is another one...
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- Mar 7, 2014
- 2 min
Keep Cool, Stay Home, Put Out the Lights...
During World War II, any city within 300 miles of the Atlantic, Pacific, or Gulf Coast was in danger of an enemy air raid. Cities in...
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