Tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, so we are sharing some information about connecting with the service members. Please connect with those serving and those that have served and thank them.

I recently met a veteran who worked in the Military Post office during WWII. He shared that there were so many letters and packages with food that were sent to our servicemen at that time and yet it was very different from what occurs today. This veteran felt honored to serve in this profession because he was the person in charge of keeping the families connected, he made sure those letters and packages got to their loved ones. In that timeframe, the letters were censored, and had a stamp showing that the letter had been opened by a censor. Many letters had sentences crossed out with markers by the censors as the information was not allowed to be shared. They often crossed out the x’s & o’s which are meant for hugs & kisses, but could be a code if falling into the wrong hands. So although the original letter was long when written, by the time it was received it may have been very short.

Today our military is fortunate to have access to the high tech communication means that can be use to contact loved ones. Email, cell phone, all computer communication methods and home phones have made things easier and faster to stay in touch with loved ones. Collecting letters to and from the military of many wars has become an instant hobby that does have true historic value. They are the eyewitness accounts of that time whether the war side or the home side. A letter from WWII stated “A year ago today I was sweating out shells on Anzio Beachhead — today I am sitting in Hitler’s luxuriously furnished apartment in Munich writing a few lines home. — What a contrast. — A still greater contrast is that between his quarters here and the living h*** of DACHAU concentration camp only 10 miles from here. — I had the misfortune of seeing the camp yesterday and I still find it hard to believe what my eyes told me…”

The Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA), as an extension of the United States Postal Service, the MPSA provides Department of Defense personnel their mail. To understand the meaning of a military address APO/FPO or AA/AE/AP go to http://www.skipcares.org/1110/care-packages/apofpo-addresses-explained/ and it will explain about the deployed military postal addresses and why they are so important to be written correctly.

New technology is wonderful, but the service members still love receiving hand written letters that can be received during mail call.

Gestapo headquarters spoke to the wrong person…

On April 11th 1945 The American Third Army liberated the German Buchenwald concentration camp, a camp that will be judged second only to Auschwitz in the horrors it imposed on its prisoners. As American forces closed in on the n*** concentration camp at Buchenwald, Gestapo headquarters at Weimar telephoned the camp administration to announce that it was sending explosives to blow up any evidence of the camp–including its inmates. What the Gestapo did not know was that the camp administrators had already fled in fear of the Allies. A prisoner answered the phone and informed headquarters that explosives would not be needed, as the camp had already been blown up, which, of course, was not true.

Among the camp’s most gruesome characters was Ilse Koch, wife of the camp commandant, who was infamous for inflicting pain and watching while the prisoners suffered. She often beat prisoners with a riding crop, and used the skin from camp victims to make lampshades, book covers, and gloves, especially if they had distinctive tatoos. She was sent to trial by the US military in 1947. She committed suicide by hanging herself in prison.

The camp held thousands of prisoners, mostly slave laborers. There were no gas chambers, but many died from disease, malnutrition, beatings, and executions. Doctors performed medical experiments on inmates, testing the effects of viral infections and vaccines. Many prisoners suffered the moment they arrived at night in the open winter air and then were beaten and tortured. This was considered a temporary detention camp.

Buchenwald was the first concentration camp to be freed by the Allies. By the time the Americans arrived only about 20,000 prisoners remained as the prisoners were being shipped out as fast as they could the last couple weeks. When the Americans entered the camp they could not absorb what they were seeing, many were sick from the sights, and placed it on film so they could prove what they saw.

Among those saved by the Americans was Elie Wiesel, who would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for speaking out against violence, repression, and racism. Wiesel was the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps.

Two slivers of metal which screwed together to form a file, a little red hotel contained a tiny silk region map folded very tightly, real German or Italian currency with the packaged play money, the location of safe houses on game cards, and inside the Scotty dog was a tiny little compass or some items were disguised as game pieces. These are items identified to have been found in special ordered Monopoly games that were sent to Allied POWs in German and Italian camps during WWII to help the prisoners escape.

Games were among the few items allowed in care packages that were sent by the International Red Cross, though sometimes by using fake charity group names. The British Secret Service asked John Waddington Ltd to secretly make these special game boards in guarded workshops. Silk was the material of choice for military maps because it wouldn’t tear or dissolve in water as easily as paper and was light enough to stuff into a boot or cigarette pack.

After the war ended the remaining game sets were destroyed and everyone involved was sworn to secrecy. This secrecy continued until 2007 and then declassified and surviving craftsman and the Waddington firm, the manufacture of Monopoly in the UK, were honored for their work.

This story has been questioned. But ABC News did an in depth report on it and Hasbro, who manufacture the Monopoly games today, has this information on their official history of the game site .

This is a tribute to all military spouses and mothers, all whom are true heroes.

Today is Military Spouse Day, a day set aside to recognize and honor the contributions and sacrifices of military spouses. Whether that spouse is a wife or husband they too serve. Just because the husband or wife took an oath and signed on a dotted line when they joined the military, their spouses were immediately enlisted through the back door with the vows they took on their wedding day. In choosing their mates, they inadvertently chose their way of life too. They must follow the rules and regulations of the Armed Forces, no matter which branch their spouse is in. The spouse faces challenges, moves, and they become survivors when their spouse is deployed. They are heroes and they are appreciated.

Sunday is Mother’s Day, our mothers are always special to us. We all have our own memories on why this day is a special day. Mothers watch over their children from the beginning. It doesn’t matter what age a child is, they know their mother is there and one that can be counted on. Truthfully this does not change, even when they become adults. Mothers worry about their children forever.

There are mothers that are in the military themselves that can be separated from their children while they serve but guaranteed, they always have a picture of their child with them. These mothers try to balance life’s situations so they can serve proudly and keep their family intact. They give their children strength to grow, patriotism and pride.

The mothers of those who serve, we know it is often hard to be in your shoes and yet you glow with pride knowing who your child has become. We share your worry and pride with you.

And to the Gold Star Mothers who have lost a child to war, we will always remember them because your child can not and will not be forgotten. Your child was a hero and we thank you.

For some of us who have lost our mothers we truly do miss them.

Mothers Day has always been special for Nancy as it was always close to, or the same day, her mother’s birthday.

Mothers Day has always been special for me because there was always such a big fuss made for my mother. I miss her.

To all mothers we salute your strength, support, and patriotism. We wish all the mothers at home and those that are deployed a very Happy Mother’s Day!

The SS America was an ocean liner designed by naval architect William F. Gibbsbuilt for the United States Lines in 1940. It was the first liner to fit the comfort of women, offering warmth and friendliness. Sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt, her career as a top luxury liner was cut short. As WWII stirred in Europe her hull was painted with two huge American Flags to deter U-boat attacks. She was quietly fitted with a degaussing cable for protection against naval mines in 1941.

On May 28, 1941, the SS America was called to service and ordered back to port by the US Navy. She was renamed the USS West Point. She remained as a troop transport until 1946. The SS America held her original name three times in her 54 years of existence, but she also held many other names including some from other countries prior to her 1994 destruction.

In the 1980s, the ship was sold for $2 million for scrap. The scrap merchant made an initial deposit of $1million, demolished the lifeboats and lifeboat davits, then the scrappers defaulted on the payments and pulled out. In 1993, the ship was sold again with the intention of being refitted to become a 5 star hotel ship. She was renamed the American Star. In 1994 while being towed to her destination the tow lines broke and the ship ran ashore in the Canary Islands. Within 48 hours of running aground the ship broke in two. The ship was declared a total loss in July of 1994. The stern section collapsed but the bow remained entirely intact. Since that time what was above water has slowly disappeared. As of February 2012, only a few feet of the ship remain above water.

A renowned Chicago street musician is drafted into the Army during a prewar draft. The bugler was the “top man at his craft,” but the Army had little use for his talents and he was reduced to blowing the wake up call (Reveille) in the morning. The musician wanted to jam so he used the blues man’s blues, put together a small band and put flair into the song with a boogie rhythm. That more or less sums up the song written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince. It became a huge hit for the Andrew Sisters after they recorded it on January 2, 1941. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy was written before the United States entered World War II. It was introduced in the film Buck Privates which starred Abbott and Costello. Prince and Raye received an Academy Award nomination for Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy for best original song.

There are a few musicians that claim they were that bugle boy in the song. Bill Arter, a medic who played in jam sessions while serving, claimed he was nicknamed Bugle Boy from Company B but because it was actually written before the war it is thought that maybe his nickname came from the song rather than the song from his nickname. Another claimant was Harry L. Gish, Jr. whom was in an orchestra that featured him in Raye-Prince songs.

But, according to articles written in the Stars & Stripes and the Billboard Magazine the credit goes to Clarence Zylman that could claim the title of the original Boogie Woogie Bugler. The lyrics of the song follow aspects of his life. He was drafted and was a musician, a trumpet player, performing in several big bands for 20 years prior to his draft . He was a bugler for an engineer company playing Taps and Reveille and later transferred to an Army band. Clarence also taught other buglers his techniques.

The last few years we have given a lot of attention to Frank Buckles, the last US doughboy from WWI in our articles for Military Appreciation Month. We will now share the final report as all those that were survivors of that great war are now gone. We must never forget who they were and what they did for the citizens of their country.

Within a one year time frame the last 3 WWI veterans died at the age of 110. This brings an end to the living history and teachings of WWI from those that had lived it first hand.

Frank Buckles died Feb 25th 2011 he was the last WWI doughboy veteran from the United States. Born in Missouri, he quit school at 16 and bluffed his way into the Army while chasing his adventure. He served as he drove VIPs, guarded German prisoners and drove ambulances in France and England. After the armistice, he traveled the globe as a purser on commercial ships. He saw Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Summer Olympics and watched Jesse Owens anger the dictator by sprinting to victory in Berlin’s Reichssportfeld. In 1941 while moving cargo for the American President Lines in Manila, he was captured in the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. He endured 38 months of cruel deprivation as a civilian prisoner during World War II before being freed in a daring military raid. Mr. Buckles suffered from the aftereffects of beriberi, dysentery and dengue fever. Frank dedicated his final years to ensuring the sacrifices of his fellow doughboys are commemorated and to refurbish the District of Columbia’s neglected World War I monument and rededicate it as a national memorial.

Claude Choules died May 5th 2011, he served from England in the Royal Navy and was the last combat veteran. He was the last living veteran to have served in both world wars, and the last seamen from the first. Claude witnessed the surrender of the German Imperial Navy in 1918 and the scuttling of the fleet in Scapa Flow. He joined the Australian navy in 1926 and remained in the force for more 30 years.

The last WWI veteran was Florence (Patterson) Green and she died Feb 4th 2012. This lady from Great Britian never saw the front line as she served with the Women’s Royal Air Force, yet was afraid of flying. She began serving in 1918 before the war ended at age 17. She worked as a steward in the officers’ mess at two military installations until the war ended. Florence served on the home front to remind us that warfare is not confined to the trenches. She was not officially recognized as a veteran until 2010 when her service records were finally located.

One other veteran, Jozef Kowalski from Poland, joined the army just after WWI ended. He signed up after the Armistice date, but before the Treaty of Versailles. He is considered a WWI era veteran but did not serve in that war, he served during the Polish-Soviet War 1919-1921. He also took part in the September Campaign in WWII and later held in a concentration camp. As this is written Jozef is the oldest military veteran in the world aged 112.

This brings closure to learn about WWI from those that served. They are gone…but not forgotten.

Now we must focus on those that served during WWII before they are gone. Approximately 16 million Americans served in this war and they are dying at a rate of about 850 a day. In November 2011, it was estimated that approximately 1,711,000 American WWII veterans were still living. The median age for a World War II veteran is 88 years of age at this time.

Lets honor them before they are gone. Let them tell their stories and let us listen and learn.

The video today is to honor all military, past and present, especially in memory of those that fought wars that we will never hear first hand stories of again because all participants are with their fellow veterans in heaven.

Forest Mars brought the American rights of a British candy called Smarties, small circular tablets of chocolate coated in a hard candy shell. There was already a candy named Smarties in the US so when Mars joined forces with Milton Hershey’s adopted son, R. Bruce Murrie, they needed a new name. They combined their last initial and “M&Ms” was born. M&Ms Chocolate Candies were first sold in 1941.

M&Ms were consumed by WWII military members. They were an easily packaged energy snack, they didn’t melt due to their hard candy shell and became part of the standard C-rations for the soldiers during the war. There was such a demand that the candies, 200,000 pounds made weekly, were exclusively sold to the military and were packaged in cardboard tubes and they only came in brown, yellow, orange, red, green and violet. The “m” on them was added after the war.

In 1945, at the close of WWII, , M&Ms became available to the general public.

The month of May is Military Appreciation Month. It is a time to remember and honor those who have or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. As in the last few years we, Sunshine and Nancy, have spent time putting some interesting and possibly uncommon facts about our military and veterans together to to share with you.

We are not professionals, we do this for fun and so others can learn about our military’s history. We hope you find them all interesting. We will be posting a new subject each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the entire month.

Loyalty Day and and Silver Star Service Banner Day both fall on May 1st.

Loyalty Day originally began as “Americanization Day” in 1921. On May 1, 1930, 10,000 VFW members staged a rally at New York’s Union Square to promote patriotism. Through a resolution adopted in 1949, May 1 evolved into Loyalty Day. Observances began on April 28, 1950 and climaxed May 1 when more than five million people across the nation held rallies. In 1958 Congress enacted Public Law 529 proclaiming Loyalty Day a permanent fixture on the nation’s calendar. Loyalty Day is a day to show our patriotism, a day to show that we are loyal to our country and are not afraid to show it. It is a day to display the American spirit.

The Silver Star Families of America organization brought back the tradition of a Silver Star on a banner representing those that came home wounded. This star began in 1917 and was sewn over the top of the blue star on the sons in service banners. It is time for the wounded and ill veterans to know they are not forgotten. We have new technology that enables many of those that could have lost their lives in previous wars to live on. Banners are presented to those combat veterans who have been wounded in war, those with visible and those with invisible wounds. SSFOA also recognize the Illnesses caused from their war time experience, and those dying because of their wounds of war. We remember those that suffer with brain injuries, post traumatic stress, Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome, depleted uranium, and other such illnesses. We cannot forget or ignore them as they reenter their communities. The banner or flag may be seen hanging in windows or outside and when someone sees one they should recognize and remember the sacrifices made by so many of our veterans.