Musings afire, afoot, and abroad….
As the Depression waned and the winds of war stirred in Europe, dad joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in 1937--and was promptly trained in mounted combat--mounted, as in "horse," not "tank." Yet change was also in the wind, and by 1941, their steeds had been joined with steel and for a brief season the cavalry... Continue Reading →
If Christians have learned anything about living in a heathen culture, it is the ancient lesson that Christian victory is grounded in sacrifice, not coercive might. That lesson was refreshed a few days ago when we watched A Hidden Life which recounts the life and death of Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter, executed in 1943 after... Continue Reading →
Southwest of Prague lies Pilsen, and southwest of Pilsen lies Western Bohemia, a fair and rolling land that blends into Bavaria across the German border. Agriculture and woodland, green upon green and splashed in spring with rolling fields of yellow as rapeseed-the canola oil plant-blossoms. Amid the fields, prim villages pop up in a bend of the road... Continue Reading →
Twenty tons of American tank clattered across ancient cobblestone; steel treads clawing and scrawling on worn granite as this tank and a troop of American soldiers wound their way into the town of Asch. By day's end the town would be free. But Charles Harris, Truman Perfect, Robert Hanchey, Artur Rentell, Clarance Shoupe, Charles Murray,... Continue Reading →
It was almost an afterthought, as we parted with a newfound friend, the director of the Second Cavalry’s museum in Vilseck, Germany: “Long as you’re headed that way, you could go through Flossenbürg,” he said. “Yes, you can walk it in a half hour or so....” chimed in his colleague. Good enough, we thought, and... Continue Reading →
Westwander 