Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 352
February 18, 2015
Today in World War II History—February 18, 1940 & 1945
75 Years Ago—Feb. 18, 1940: Chinese forces drive Japanese out of Nanning, China.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 18, 1945: US Army Air Forces Band (under Maj. Glenn Miller before his death) performs at Paris Opera House, the first time popular music was performed at this venue.
February 17, 2015
Today in World War II History—February 17, 1940 & 1945
Carrier pilots of the US Fifth Fleet being briefed on their mission to Tokyo aboard an unnamed carrier, 17 Feb 1945. (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 17, 1940: Norway protests Altmark incident (Feb. 16) as violation of her neutrality.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 17, 1945: For the second day in a row, carriers of US Fifth Fleet hit Tokyo.
February 16, 2015
Today in World War II History—February 16, 1940 & 1945
Altmark at Jøssingfjord, 16 Feb 1940
75 Years Ago—Feb. 16, 1940: British commandos board German tanker Altmark in Jøssingfjord, Norway, freeing 303 British naval prisoners of war.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 16, 1945: US paratroopers land on the island fortress of Corregidor in the Philippines. Soviets surround Breslau in eastern Germany after most of civilian population was forcibly evacuated, many to die in severe winter weather.
February 15, 2015
Today in World War II History—February 15, 1940 & 1945
Clearing the Bataan Peninsula, 12-21 February 1945. (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 15, 1940: Germany declares all British merchant ships to be regarded as warships.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 15, 1945: US Sixth Army lands at Mariveles on tip of Bataan peninsula on Luzon, takes Mariveles and its airfield. As Japanese advance, US Fourteenth Air Force evacuates last of its eastern China airfields, can no longer raid South China Sea.
February 14, 2015
Today in World War II History—February 14, 1940 & 1945
Ruins of Dresden seen from the Rathaus, 1945. (Deutsche Fotothek, df ps 0000010)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 14, 1940: IRA detonates five bombs in Birmingham, England; no injuries. Food rationing begins in Vatican City.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 14, 1945: Starting late the night of February 13, 800 RAF bombers and 311 US Eighth Air Force B-17s bomb Dresden, starting a firestorm that kills at least 37,000.
February 13, 2015
Book Beat – Rush of Heaven
I don’t read much non-fiction, other than research books, and I wouldn’t have picked up Rush of Heaven except that my dear friend Cheryl Ricker is the co-author. And I’m so glad I did.
In 1993, Ema McKinley suffered a horrible workplace accident. Over the next eighteen years a condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy stole everything from her – everything but her faith. Slowly her body betrayed her, the muscles contracting so she was confined to a wheelchair, permanently bent to the side, her hands and feet useless. Over the years, despite disfigurement, numerous hospitalizations, and horrific pain (as a pharmacist, I was astounded by her dosage of morphine), her faith only grew – firm, optimistic, filled with humor and concern for others.
If Ema’s story ended here, it would be an extraordinary testimony of how one woman clung to God in the darkness and persevered. But it didn’t end there. On Christmas Eve, 2011, Jesus Christ came to Ema and healed her. For the first time in years, she could stand up straight and walk. Over the next few months, she was weaned off her pain medication and her strength only increased. For the skeptical reader (count me in!), Ema includes excerpts from her medical records and plenty of photographs.
Wow. What a story. Ema’s cheerful faith shines brightly throughout the book, even when she is in situations that would warrant complete despair. But Jesus Himself is truly the main character – not just His miraculous power to heal – but also His power to keep Ema going through eighteen torturous years.
Cheryl Ricker’s writing brings the story to life. While I’ve known Cheryl for years, I never once heard Cheryl’s voice. Only Ema’s. And that takes true writing talent. The book is well organized and reads exceptionally well. Cheryl gave Ema’s phenomenal story the faithful rendering it deserved. Thank you for a touching and inspiring read.
Today in World War II History—February 13, 1940 & 1945
Finnish soldiers on skis with reindeer, near Jäniskoski, Finland, 20 Feb 1940
75 Years Ago—Feb. 13, 1940: Soviets break through Finnish defenses on the Karelian Isthmus. Britain cracks down on unauthorized slaughterhouses (“steakeasies”) trying to circumvent rationing.
Troops of Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front fighting in Budapest, Hungary, 5 Feb 1945
70 Years Ago—Feb. 13, 1945: Soviets take Budapest, Hungary, opening the Danube Valley for the drive to Vienna; 110,000 POWs taken. In Manila, US troops capture Nichols Field and Cavite naval base. US ships enter Manila Bay for first time since 1942.
February 12, 2015
Today in World War II History—February 12, 1940 & 1945
75 Years Ago—Feb. 12, 1940: British minesweeper HMS Gleaner sinks German U-boat U-33 in the Firth of Forth, capturing Enigma machine rotors. Britain institutes paper rationing. “The Adventures of Superman” radio show premieres.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 12, 1945: B-29 Superfortresses of the US 21st Bomber Command begin pre-invasion bombing of Iwo Jima.
February 11, 2015
Book Beat – A Most Inconvenient Marriage
Not welcome in her own home, nurse Abigail Stuart has nowhere to go when the Civil War ends. Dying patient Jeremiah Calhoun offers her a solution – marry him and she’ll have a home, and he’ll have peace of mind knowing Abigail can care for his invalid sister. Abigail agrees, and after Jeremiah passes away, she goes to his farm. Over time, Abigail wins over his mother and even his ill-tempered sister, and starts to resuscitate the dying horse farm.
Then the real Jeremiah Calhoun comes home – very much alive and NOT the man Abigail married. Convinced Abigail is an imposter bent on stealing the farm, Jeremiah is determined to drive her away.
A Most Inconvenient Marriage is another delightful novel by Regina Jennings. Abigail and Jeremiah are strong characters, believable, flawed, and likable. I truly wanted these two hurting people to find happiness with each other. And the humor! The incidents with the skunks and the pie dough…well, you just have to read them yourself! I loved this story and highly recommend it.
Today in World War II History—February 11, 1940 & 1945
Franklin Roosevelt and King Abdul-Aziz (Ibn Saud) of Saudi Arabia aboard USS Quincy, Great Bitter Lake, Egypt, 14 Feb 1945. (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 11, 1940: Soviet Union and Germany sign a treaty to exchange Soviet raw materials for German manufactured goods. Lord Tweedsmuir (John Buchan), governor-general of Canada and author of The 39 Steps, dies at age 64 in Montréal.
70 Years Ago—Feb. 11, 1945: On way home from Yalta, Roosevelt meets with kings Farouk of Egypt, Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, but is unable to convince them to allow Jewish settlement in Palestine.
