Code Talker by Chester Nez and Judith Scheiss Avila

[CATEGORIES: Book Review, WWII, veterans.] Subtitled: "The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII", by Chester Nez with Judith Schiess Avila. Code talkers were Navajo Indians who developed an unbreakable English-Navajo-English code used while fighting the Japanese in WWII Pacific. This book is great storytelling. I had the …

Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Sunday

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] Sunday morning is the traditional memorial service for the WWII veterans of the 104th Infantry Division.  Sunday evening we have the formal banquet dinner and dance. We have 'official' speeches' by VA chaplain Ronald, Timberwolf vet Bob, and Pup Jerry.  Additional remarks are made by visiting Dutchwoman Esther, Belgian Vincent, and Maj. …

Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Saturday Night

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] We should finish Saturday night.  The Beer Bust and Raffle. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) T.K. Moffat, former Commander of the 104th Infantry Training Division for 4 years and 2 months, is from Tupelo, Mississippi, the home of Elvis Presley.  Although the mellifluous tonalities of his singing escapes me he is one of …

Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Saturday

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] [This post may load slowly as there are a lot of pictures in a single gallery.] Bus tours are finished for the weekend.  Today it is Pups General Meeting, Ladies Luncheon, Men's Canteen, Midday Entertainment, Reunion General Meeting, and evening Beer Bust with raffle. (Select photos to enlarge.  Click X in …

Timberwolves Reunion Albuquerque – Friday

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] I'm not posting everyday on this trip. Trust me. I know this. Really.  These pix are mainly for the benefit of those that hang out at the Timberwolves Facebook site and couldn't attend the reunion. I am excited to hear that the attendee count is not the previously reported 132 but …

Timberwolves in Albuquerque, Thursday sampler

[CATEGORIES: Travel, WWII, Veterans.] For the uninitiated the Timberwolves here are WWII veterans of the 104th Infantry Division's campaign from Normandy to Torgau, Germany near Berlin ending 68 years ago (1944-1945). Though I don't have a count we have a decent number of the vets present with friends and family totaling 132 people in Albuquerque, …

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra Days, Prague. 17 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) The last day.  We've had a great trip but we'll be glad to get home. We love Prague.  Depends on what you like.  Outdoors architecture and history abound.  Students of Charles …

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra days. Berlin-Prague Travel Day & Walkabout. 15 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) I'm a bloggin' maniac now.  I need the laptop for a download of all videos taken, but first I do a laptop-easy upload of 30 photos of the BER-PRG train ride …

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra day Berlin Part II. 14 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Halfway through our extra day in Berlin, post guided-tour, we leave the Pergamon Museum (previous post) and stop for lunch. . Next we march down the Unter den Linden (remember those …

Timberwolves Europe 2013. Extra days Berlin and Prague. 14 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) If you have spent the considerable time and money to get to Europe for a guided tour you might think about an extra day or two at the beginning or end …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Daily Posts & Extra Days now in Chronological Order. [Updated]

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) [Editing on the iPad was painful enough just to get this in reverse chronological order. ] [UPDATE] I'm on a regular laptop and have put the posts in proper order. [UPDATE …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII footsteps Koln to Kassel. 8 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play a movie.) Here is a bit of photo catch-up for our cross-country travel day on Wed. 8 May. We left Aachen, actually east of Cologne, and traveled a windy route across Germany …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. Part II. 7 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Here are more photos and info for Tue. 7 May. After leaving Mareike and Peter at Frenzer Muhle (use Google translate) we stop by Indemann viewing platform for a quick look …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Berlin, The Last Day. Mon. 13 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge.) Today is the final 1/2 day of the tour, though everyone doesn't scatter for return to the U.S. or extra days in Europe until tomorrow. As required by Berlin law we have an 'official' guide …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Torgau, Jesnitz, Trostitz, Puchau. 11 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) Peggy suggested the theme for today was "Power of Place" and indeed it was. We visited many places Vets or Pup's fathers had been. Sometimes we had WWII pictures to compare. …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Halle Germany. 10 May Video sampler.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) It was a busy day again today. Following is a infintesimal taste of what the day was like. After an extensive morning tour by bus of important sites in the history …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. Part I. 7 May.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] [UPDATE: Galleries were out of sync. Fixed. Sorry.] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) As it is Friday 10 May let's see if I can get photos posted for Tuesday 7 May. Hopefully you have seen the …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Kassel to Halle, 9 May.

[Categories: EUROPE, FREEDOM, Photography, Travel.] Let's see. I owe full posts for 7 and 8 May. I want to post more photos for Mareike and Peter's Frenzer Muhle we visited Tuesday the 7th. (Their website, previous link, is in German. I can probably use Google translate, or an app for that, when I take time …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, WWII Footsteps from Aachen to Koln. 7 May sampler.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) I'm still wayyyy behind in blogging . On tour from 8:30am to 6:30pm today. (We didn’t miss any meals though. I have my priorities.) Here is a sampler for today. Shaky …

Timberwolves Europe 2013, Margraten NL and Henri-Chapelle BE American Military Cemeteries. 6 May sampler.

[Categories: TRAVEL, PHOTOGRAPHY, EUROPE, WWII] [UPDATE 7 MAY. Refresh page if videos don't display. 'Shaky' videos reloaded for better resolution.] (See previous posts for what this tour is about.) (As always, click on photos to enlarge or play movie.) OOOPS! Wayyyy behind in blogging today. On tour from 8am to 10pm. (We didn't miss any …