May They Forever Be Old: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Death at Age 44

Growing old means that people you once viewed as old are now younger than you. Life is always safest when you are buffered on all sides. We buffer ourselves with family and friends. Money is a buffer. The battlefield is safest if you’re the person in the middle, not the edges. Life’s edges bring great… Continue reading May They Forever Be Old: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Death at Age 44

The Strange Case of the U.S. Soldier Who Talked 162 Germans Into Surrendering

As with so many war stories, this one is hazy and sounds like it’s ready-made for a movie. Particulars are hard to pin down, since the only person who might corroborate them has been dead since 1955. This is the story of a U.S. soldier whose “super-salesman” silver tongue persuaded German soldiers to surrender to… Continue reading The Strange Case of the U.S. Soldier Who Talked 162 Germans Into Surrendering

Lee Van Cleef, Official Badass and Savior of Little Dogs

Lee Van Cleef, Kansas City Confidential

Everybody knows the Lee Van Cleef of late 1960s spaghetti Westerns. So why should I put him in the category of People You’ve Never Heard Of? Because there are two sides to him that many people don’t know about. The first one–Van Cleef as a film noir tough–is not known to most people who only… Continue reading Lee Van Cleef, Official Badass and Savior of Little Dogs

B-24 Liberator Bomber Cutaway Drawing, 1943

B-24 Liberator Bomber Cutaway 1943

Naturally, in the popular press of the time, Consolidated Vultee’s B-24 Liberator bomber would be hailed as a magnificent fighting machine, capable of plowing down any obstacle like cutting through butter. While the B-24 did have its strong points, crew members had a different angle on the craft. Lately, I have been reading Laura Hillenbrand’s… Continue reading B-24 Liberator Bomber Cutaway Drawing, 1943

Wright Cyclone Engine World War 2 Aircraft Cutaway, 1945

Wright Cyclone Engine World War 2 Aircraft Cutaway 1945

This was a fictional Second World War aircraft meant to illustrate the Wright Cyclone engine (located in the engine cowling, #10) on a test flight.  The aircraft interior has been specially designed for testing. Areas of this aircraft shown on the cutaway: Oxygen supply for crew. Movie camera recording instruments. Movie lights. Instrument panel. Flight… Continue reading Wright Cyclone Engine World War 2 Aircraft Cutaway, 1945