Books, Writing, History, and Me
In “Books, Writing, History, and Me” I share my thoughts on travel, cooking, van-life, books, the process of writing, the experiences of an indie-publisher, WWII, the Holocaust, and anything else I feel might be of interest to readers of my books. Please send me comments and let me know what you like and what you want to know more about. Everything in this blog reflects my personal ideas and feelings–a memoir of sorts, it is my perspective and any errors or omissions are mine.
Meg Waite Clayton – A World War II “Nut.”
I recently had the honor of hosting best-selling author Meg Waite Clayton for a weekend in my home. She had come to Laguna Beach in order to speak at the annual fund-raising Literary Luncheon for an organization dear to my heart .* Earlier I had been asked by the organization to write a short piece about…
The Ritchie Boy Who Helped the Quakers
Rudi Hockenheimer was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1925. It seemed a safe time to his middle-class Jewish parents— Germany was recovering from the devastation of World War I which had ended seven years before—and they were pleased to have a son only a year and a half after the birth of their first baby,…
The Rosenstraße Protest In Nazi Germany
The shifting Nazi directives regarding Jews married to Gentile Germans which I wrote about in my previous blog, also resulted in one of the few successful resistance efforts against Hitler’s Jewish policies. By the winter of 1943, the Third Reich was moving steadily toward the Final Solution. As a 54th birthday gift to the Führer…
Nazi Policy and the Intermarriage and Mischling Dilemma
The Nuremberg Race Laws of 1935 (see blog “Loss of Citizenship the Nuremberg Way,” posted May 29, 2015) continued to be amended and fine-tuned for the next four years. Ever stricter, these laws codified Hitler’s anti-Jewish policy and gave the Nazi regime deadly control over the Jews living in Germany and the occupied countries. One…
The Ritchie Boys and Questions of Death and Spies
Last November, when I spoke to the Hot Springs Women’s Club about Immigrant Soldier, I was asked two questions regarding the Ritchie Boys I had never fielded before. One of the ladies wanted to know how many, if any, Ritchie Boys were killed in action. Another lady inquired if any of the Ritchie-trained men were later…
Book Groups Read Immigrant Soldier Together
In the last few months, several book clubs have let me know that they have read or are planning to read Immigrant Soldier together as a group. Most of the groups are located near me, in Southern California. In some cases, they have invited me to attend their discussion evening, a prospect both intimidating and exciting. Recently…
The Real Hugo
In Immigrant Soldier, Herman recalls his childhood days as he sits in a deck chair during the stormy passage to America. He remembers the tension in the sunny, well-furnished home on Bernard Strasse and his mother’s unhappiness. When I first wrote this section of the book, much of the information I knew about Hugo had to…
World War II Veterans Are In Their 90s
Last week, I read an article in the Smithsonian Magazine , titled, “Lone Star,” a tribute to a 91 year old WWII veteran. Written by Al Reinert, the story touched my heart with its description of the wartime experiences and current struggles with aging experienced by Ray Halliburton of Luling, Texas. Illustrated with poignant photos of Ray, the…
December 7, 1941- The News of Pearl Harbor Hits Los Angeles
Dear Readers, I am taking a break from writing in order to spend time with family and friends over the Holidays. However, the first week of December always reminds me of the disastrous day that resulted in the United States entering World War II. In Immigrant Soldier, Herman is in Los Angeles on leave when he…
On The Road With Herman
Herman and I have been on the road for two weeks. First in Florida, now in Arkansas, I have been visiting dear friends and making presentations at several community venues. It has been at the same time, pleasant, enlightening, and occasionally frustrating. Never entirely comfortable with public speaking, I have surprised myself by how much…
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