Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 341
June 2, 2015
Today in World War II History—June 2, 1940 & 1945
US Navy TG 38.3 off Okinawa, May 1945. US Navy Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver dive bombers from carrier USS Essex. Background: battleship USS Washington, an Essex-class carrier and an Independence-class light carrier. (US Navy photo)
75 Years Ago—June 2, 1940: US steamship President Roosevelt departs Galway, Ireland with 720 US citizens; US passenger liner Manhattan departs Genoa, Italy with 1905 US citizens.
70 Years Ago—June 2, 1945: US Naval Task Force 38 attacks kamikaze bases in southern Japan, forcing operations farther north in Japan.
June 1, 2015
Today in World War II History—June 1, 1940 & 1945
Launching of battleship USS Washington, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, PA, 1 Jun 1940 (US Navy photo)
75 Years Ago—June 1, 1940: British remove signposts to cause confusion if German paratroops land. USS Washington launched at Philadelphia Navy Yard, America’s first new battleship since 1921.
70 Years Ago—June 1, 1945: British Twelfth and Fourteenth Armies link in Burma. British force Cossacks (White Russians who opposed Communism and fought for Germany) to Soviet zone in Austria, 700 Cossacks killed or commit suicide; many of the 28,000 sent back to USSR will disappear.
May 31, 2015
Today in World War II History—May 31, 1940 & 1945
American officer standing by the bell from Shuri Castle on Okinawa, 1945. (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—May 31, 1940: Italian civilians are banned from driving private cars and a gasoline conservation plan is announced.
70 Years Ago—May 31, 1945: British negotiate cease fire in Syria between Syrian nationalists and the French. US Marines occupy Shuri town on Okinawa.
May 30, 2015
Today in World War II History—May 30, 1940 & 1945
Allied troops aboard the ship Guinean after being evacuated from Dunkirk, late May 1940.
75 Years Ago—May 30, 1940: Britain orders modern destroyers to leave Dunkirk due to heavy losses. Germany increases food rations due to increased supplies from newly conquered countries.
70 Years Ago—May 30, 1945: Iran demands removal of all American, British, and Soviet troops.
May 29, 2015
Guess the Title! Book Giveaway!
Waves of Freedom, Book 2 has an official title from Revell, my publisher…but I’m not telling! Instead, just for fun, I’m letting you guess. And I’m giving away a book – either Through Waters Deep (Waves of Freedom, Book 1) when it comes out in August 2015 – or Mystery Book 2 when it comes out in summer 2016.
Here are the rules of the game:
Leave a comment below with your guess for the book title. If you can’t leave a comment, send me an email with your guess. Contest ends Monday, June 1 at 11 pm, Pacific Time. I’ll post the winner Tuesday June 2 – and announce the title.
Guess the correct title and you could win a free book! If more than one person guesses the correct title, I’ll randomly draw up to three winners from those who guessed correctly. If no one guesses correctly, I’ll randomly pick one winner from among all entrants.
Here are your clues:
The title contains the word ANCHOR.
Here are some pictures that inspired me as I wrote the story (which may or may not have anything to do with the title…)
And here’s the story blurb to inspire your guess…
For plucky Lillian Avery, America’s entry into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. She loves the wartime challenges of her new job but spurns the attention of society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg, even if Arch is her brother’s best friend. During the darkest days of the war, Arch’s destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the US East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves—and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the prescriptions Lillian has received for unusually large quantities of sedatives? As Lillian and Arch work together to uncover a black market drug ring, Arch tries to earn Lillian’s trust and her affection. But can they overcome the dangers that face them from torpedoes, drug lords—and opened hearts?
Today in World War II History—May 29, 1940 & 1945
Destroyer HMS Wakeful, sunk by a German torpedo boat off Dunkirk, 29 May 1940; 737/763 killed.
75 Years Ago—May 29, 1940: Off Dunkirk, German torpedo boats and the Luftwaffe sink British destroyers Wakeful, Grafton, and Grenade, and many other ships, killing over 1000 Allied troops.
70 Years Ago—May 29, 1945: In Syria, fighting erupts between French troops and Syrian nationalists; French bomb Damascus. Filipino guerillas take Cervantes, Luzon. US Marines take Shuri ridge and Shuri Castle on Okinawa.
US Marine Lt. Col. R. P. Ross Jr. raising the US flag over Shuri castle on Okinawa, 29 May 1945. (US National Archives)
May 28, 2015
Today in World War II History—May 28, 1940 & 1945
British trawler rescuing Allied troops escaping from Dunkirk, France, May 1940. (US Government photo)
75 Years Ago—May 28, 1940: Belgium officially surrenders to Germany. British pleasure craft and fishing boats start aiding Dunkirk evacuation.
70 Years Ago—May 28, 1945: British capture traitor William Joyce (“Lord Haw Haw”) in Flensburg, Germany, to be hanged in 1946, the last British person to be executed for treason.
May 27, 2015
Today in World War II History—May 27, 1940 & 1945
British prisoners of war in Calais, France, May 1940; Panzer I light tank in foreground. (German Federal Archive, Bild 183-B14898)
75 Years Ago—May 27, 1940: Germans take Calais, France. British weekly sugar ration cut to 8 ounces per person. The FBI receives 2900 reports of espionage and sabotage after President Roosevelt’s fireside chat warning about “fifth columnists” the night before.
70 Years Ago—May 27, 1945: Due to mines, Tokyo harbor is closed for the duration of the war. US Sixth Army takes Santa Fe, Luzon, securing Villa Verde Trail. US Marines take Naha, the capital of Okinawa.
Sherman tanks of US 6th Marine Division at Naha, Okinawa, Japan, 27 May 1945. (US Marine Corps photo)
May 26, 2015
Today in World War II History—May 26, 1940 & 1945
British troops in a ship evacuating from Dunkirk, France, late May 1940. (US Government photo)
75 Years Ago—May 26, 1940: The evacuation at Dunkirk begins, 300,000 British and French troops will be evacuated from French beaches by everything from destroyers to civilian fishing boats, through June 4. British Gen. Sir John Dill is named Chief of Imperial General Staff.
70 Years Ago—May 26, 1945: Chinese nationalists capture Nanning, cutting off Japanese forces in Indochina.
May 25, 2015
A Memorial Day Tribute
US Coast Guardsman honors the fallen in the Pacific, Memorial Day, 30 May 1944 (US Coast Guard photo)
On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives in defense of our country.
We live in freedom because they fought tyranny.
We live without fear because they faced danger.
We live in comfort because they gave up all comforts.
We live because of their sacrifices.
Let’s never take these gifts for granted. They were purchased at high cost.
Over 1 million Americans have given their lives in war (Source: English, June A., Jones, Thomas D., Scholastic Encyclopedia of the United States at War. New York NY: Scholastic Reference, 1998).
•American Revolution: 4,435
•War of 1812: 2,260
•Mexican-American War: 13,283
•Civil War: 498,332
•Spanish-American War: 2,446
•World War I: 116,708
•World War II: 407,316
•Korean War: 33,651
•Vietnam War: 58,168
•Gulf War: 293
•War on Terrorism (Source: icasualties.org): 4491 in Iraq, 2357 in Afghanistan
On this Memorial Day, take a moment to remember. And take a moment to thank God for freedom and life.
