All entries by this author

Angels Among Us

Aug 7th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Angels Among Us

Sometimes in our darkest hour an Angel has been sent to us. You may not hear the flutter of wings or hear the trumpets proclaim their arrival, for Angels take on many disguises. They can look like ordinary people, maybe even someone you already
know. They have big hearts and capable hands.
On more than one occasion [...]



Flying the Fortress

Jul 25th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Flying the Fortress

“I could fly a four engine 65,000 pound B-17 before I could drive a car,” stated the distinguished soft spoken Naples resident.  Although descended from a Sicilian baron, Carlo Ascari, 87, was born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. “I never even owned a pair of roller skates, much less an automobile.”  [...]



Corporal Yorkie, Hero of Luzon

Jul 25th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Corporal Yorkie, Hero of Luzon

The corporal joined up with the 5th Air Force’s 26th Photo Recon Squadron, after being rescued as a sole survivor from a fox hole in the New Guinea jungle. Yorkie was credited with flying 12 combat air and sea rescue missions, received 8 battle stars and survived kamikaze attacks as well.
Smoky, the nickname given by [...]



An Officer and Gentleman

Jul 25th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
An Officer and Gentleman

North Fort Myers resident Ernest M. (Buddy) Cadenas is a citizen of the world so to speak. Other than his native English he also speaks Spanish, Italian, French, Arabic, “and enough Swahili to get by,” he says. His beautiful home is filled with exotic collections from his tours of duty in Morocco and Guantanamo Bay. [...]



Don’t Forget the Flying Tigers

Jul 25th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Don’t Forget the Flying Tigers

Drifter met me at the door, tail wagging, anxious to meet a new friend. “Drifter is my gift from God,” Jack greeted me. “I’ll tell you more, later.”
Naples resident Jack Hild, 86, served with the 14th Air Force 21st and 35th Photo Reconnaissance Squadrons in the China, Burma, and India Theaters as an Intelligence Officer [...]



Beyond This Place of Wrath and Tears

Jul 25th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Beyond This Place of Wrath and Tears

The pretty brunette from Falmouth, MA tooled around Worcester in her Packard convertible in 1942, while attending nursing school at the Hahnemann Hospital. After graduation, she stayed on there working in the Psych Ward for a while. Although her work was gratifying, she felt there was more she could be doing for her country. Albina [...]



I Remember Mama

May 16th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher

Do you remember that old television show from the mid 1950’s called “I Remember Mama”? I can recall watching it when I was just a little girl. The beginning of the show pans to show a lady looking at an old photo album, saying by voice over, how much she missed the big white house [...]



Cool as Lemonade

May 16th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Cool as Lemonade

Yoo Hoo didn’t come when called, so she called louder. He still didn’t come. So, she called even louder, “Yoo Hoo, Dammit!” He came running into the house for dinner. From then on, Yoo Hoo Dammit became the black and white collie’s official name. The memories of the beloved canine made her smile, but with [...]



Never Again…Holocaust Remembrance Day

Apr 17th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher
Never Again…Holocaust Remembrance Day

By Judith Gannon Bircher
Sunday, April 11, 2010 is designated as Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day is set aside in Florida to remember those 15 million lives murdered at the direction of megla-maniac Adolph Hitler and his henchmen. Among that staggering number of 15 million included on Hitler’s Inferior List were: Eastern Europeans, Jehovah Witnesses, Gypsies, [...]



A Guy Named Joe

Apr 17th, 2010 | By Judith Gannon Bircher

By Judith Gannon Bircher
I’m a fan of old classic Hollywood movies and one of my favorites is a Spencer Tracy movie, “A Guy Named Joe.” Whether it was the character that Tracy portrayed in the movie or his own persona coming through I’ve always thought of guys named Joe as warm and friendly, approachable men [...]