V-J Day

"At 7:30am, the Japanese boarded the destroyer, which headed out into the enormous bay for the sixteen-mile run to the Missouri. On every side they could see the truly awesome might of the American Navy, which had converged from all parts of the Pacific and now crowded Tokyo Bay” (258).

The Book

What would have happened if the United States hadn’t dropped the atomic bomb? What if the Japanese military had succeeded in overthrowing the government and resisting surrender? We will never know the answers to these questions, but The Fall of Japan by William Craig does explore the final year of the war in the Pacific (fall 1944-fall 1945). In a sense, it can help the reader understand what could have happened.

In fall 1944, as the US began to take back the Pacific, the Imperial Army and Navy grew desperate in military strategy, a forewarning to what an invasion of Japan could bring. New Japanese leadership opened up back-channel diplomacy in secret, wary of the fanatical and extremist members of the military. At the same time, the US developed the atomic bomb and bomber crews began secret training. 

On July 26, 1945, the Potsdam Declaration requested immediate surrender from the Japanese or a promise of complete destruction. As the Japanese leaders deliberated, two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan and the leaders faced a new incentive to surrender. The Emperor broke the stalemate and directed leaders to accept the surrender terms. This decision ignited a coup among military leaders. While it didn’t last long, soldiers did take control of the palace and attacked several government members. The fanatical individuals still harbored ideas of a coup well into the discussions regarding US occupation of Japan. The US occupying force arrived in Japan on August 28 and the surrender documents were signed on September 2. The Fall of Japan closes with the crew of Bock’s Car (the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki) walking through Nagasaki and observing the damage to people and places. 

There is so much packed into this book and it is difficult to summarize all the threads. Brief side stories provide helpful context and an understanding for how history unfolded after the end of World War II. Craig pivots the narrative between Japanese and US perspectives, allowing the reader to feel like they are experiencing the moments: the mission to drop the atomic bombs, the aftermath of bomb in Nagasaki, the attempted coups by the Japanese military, the discussion of occupation, and the surrender on the USS Missouri. These pivots are interspersed with brief biographies of key players and a better sense of Japanese military culture. Quite a bit of time is dedicated to unpacking the struggle between those who wanted to surrender and those who didn’t. While I am not sure how accurate the dialogue is, it does help place the reader in the moment. Overall, the book is easy to read and includes many details and descriptions that were new to me.

The Place

When most people visit Hawaii, Pearl Harbor is at the top of their list. What most people (including myself) don’t realize is that, in the same harbor, rests a memorial to the start of America’s involvement in World War II and the ship that witnessed the end of World War II. The Battleship Missouri saw action in the Pacific Theater and witnessed the signing of the Japanese surrender documents. After World War II, the USS Missouri was used during the Korean War and Gulf War before becoming a history museum in Hawaii. 

When I visited, my family spent the morning touring the USS Arizona Memorial and exhibits dedicated to the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the afternoon, we drove over to Ford Island to tour the USS Missouri. This was a great way to experience the significance of these two attractions. We took the general tour that focused on the role of the USS Missouri in World War II. The tours conclusion is at the exact spot where the Japanese officially surrendered to the Allied forces. The location isn’t lost on visitors and one is reminded of the sacrifice made by thousands of men to get to that point. Following the tour, we took our time wandering throughout the decks, seeing what life was like on the “Mighty Mo” and learning more from permanent and temporary exhibits.

Due to COVID, hours are reduced and face coverings are required indoors/recommended outdoors. Tickets can be purchased online and the general tour is included. If a trip to Hawaii isn’t in your near future, virtual tours are available.

America’s First Seaside Resort

“Few seaside towns possess such a resource – hundreds of quaint, handcrafted cottages situated on tree-lined streets with the Atlantic providing the backdrop” (174).

The Book

While there are many ocean towns up and down the East Coast, only Cape May, New Jersey can claim to be the original tourist destination. Before the American Revolution, the Philadelphia merchant class was escaping the city summer heat for sea-bathing in Cape May. Historic Cape May: The Summer City by the Sea, by Emil R. Salvini, takes the reader on a tour through the ups and downs of this historic resort. 

Cape Island (the name changed to Cape May in 1869) quickly became a successful resort because it was easily accessible from the north and the south. Both the steamboat and rail lines increased the number of people who could visit for a day or longer. The first boardwalk in New Jersey was completed in 1863 and, in 1864, cottages joined a handful of hotels for visitors. Cape May weathered major fires, hurricanes, clashes between yearlong residents and tourists, and failed development schemes in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. In the mid-20^th century, Cape May faced the erosion of beaches, rumrunners during Prohibition, and the proximity of U-boats during World War II. Through it all, the resort did its best to attract tourists.

The completion of the Garden State Parkway in 1958 finally provided a reliable road for visitors and commuters in and out of Cape May. As a result, interest grew in restoring the historic cottages and hotels and extending the summer season. Today, the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, boasting a more intimate character and charm than many of the other seaside resorts. The reader benefits from Salvini’s admiration for Cape May. The book is well-researched and the chapters are supplemented with drawings, maps, and photos, many from the author’s personal collection. Buildings that are described in the past are noted as present day bed-and-breakfasts, for the modern visitor. The chapters vary in length and act as vignettes placed in a chronological timeline. Quite a bit of time is spent describing the different eras of hotels and cottages. While not everyone will appreciate these details, they are a big part of the draw of Cape May.

The Place

Cape May can serve as a day trip destination, weekend getaway, or longer vacation. There is a lot to see and do, whether you want to lounge on the beach, shop and eat local, stroll the promenade, or take part in numerous indoor and outdoor activities.

My visit was just for a day. We walked along the Washington Street Mall, three blocks of street converted into a pedestrian outdoor mall. There are a variety of shops that cater to the out-of-town tourist and seasoned New Jerseyan. Lunch was a delicious crab cake sandwich at the Oceanview Diner and Family Restaurant, with views of the ocean from our table. Our trip ended with a visit to the Cape May Lighthouse, located in Cape May Point State Park. While you are at the State Park, you can also watch the migratory birds and see the World War II bunker. Someday, I would like to go back to stay in one of the many historic bed and breakfasts or hotels and explore more of what Cape May has to offer.

Bearing Witness

Author’s Note: There are no photos to accompany this blog post. While photographs, without flash, are permitted at the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum; I chose not to take photos when I visited.

“The location of the museum asked visitors to ‘pay attention’ to a crucial memory, and the attributes of the building informed visitors that they must, in order to pay attention, leave Washington” (89).

The Book

Any book that tells a piece of the Holocaust narrative is a weighty book to read. You come face to face with how depraved humanity can be and the senseless murder of millions of people, simply because of their ethnicity. Preserving Memory: The Struggle to Create America’s Holocaust Museum by Edward T. Linenthal is no different. However, the overall purpose of the book is different: a chronicle of the 15-year struggle to determine how best to remember the Holocaust in the United States. 

Linenthal begins the book with the 1993 dedication of the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum and traces how the Holocaust was ignored, forgotten, or downplayed until the 1960s. Numerous events, both in America and abroad, resulted in President Carter creating the President’s Commission on the Holocaust in 1978. From this point, Linenthal launches into an in-depth narrative: the early days of the commission and struggle with how to memorialize, the location and building, the permanent exhibit, and the role of the museum in memory. 

Section one details the beginnings of an idea to remember and commemorate, something that the average person isn’t often privy too. The commission, originally chaired by Elie Wiesel, faced the challenges of how to remember the Holocaust and who to remember (only Jews or other victims of the Nazis). Wiesel, and many other commission members, argued for the focus to be on Jews only and to educate, not only memorialize. Section two walks readers through how the location and architect were chosen. Linenthal helps the reader visualize the museum, pointing out the meaning behind the architectural designs, both inside and outside. Sections three and four break down the thoughtful decisions that went into the design of the permanent exhibit. Staff members struggled over what to include and where to place items in the museum’s narrative. Finally, section five looks at how the memory on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum impacts us today.

As I read Preserving Memory, my mind was transported back ten years and I vividly remembered walking through the museum, in ways I hadn’t for years. Linenthal places the reader in the museum with his descriptions of architecture, exhibit space, and artifacts. He also allows the reader a glimpse into the decision-making process and the meaning behind seemingly simple decisions (i.e., only glass, steel, and stone were used in construction to indicate permanence, and photos of Jews before the Holocaust enabled them to be remembered as they were, not how Nazis viewed them). The controversies are not glossed over, but given due space. These include the location of the museum, the exclusion of other victims of the Nazis, the use of certain artifacts, and the actual role of the museum. The overall book is grounded in first hand narratives from commission members and other key players in the development of the museum. Their thoughts, arguments, and counterarguments show their struggles with how to best remember an event many of them survived.

The Place

The United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum is located adjacent to the National Mall and Washington Monument in Washington, DC. While it points visitors to a very different historical event than the rest of the iconic spots on the National Mall, it is still just as important. The permanent exhibit begins with an elevator ride, a confined space, that transports visitors to the fourth floor. They join with American soldiers as they encounter the concentration camps and then go back in time to the rise of Nazi power. Artifacts, images, videos, text, and models serve as witnesses to the attempt to destroy an entire group of people. The weight of the exhibit grows heavy as visitors make their way back down to the first floor, ending with videos of survivors sharing testimonies. Finally, the Hall of Remembrance provides an opportunity to reflect and process. 

The museum just reopened after being closed to prevent the spread of COVID. A free timed ticket is required and all visitors two years old and up must wear a face mask. Two exhibits are still closed to the public, as are the library and resource center. The permanent exhibit is recommended for visitors 11 years and up and can take anywhere from one to three hours. There is no parking facility and visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive via the Metro.

A City Rises from the Prairie

“Naperville was situated at the quintessential spot where villages become metropolitan centers – a crossroad of transportation” (39).

The Book

For most frontier towns, the first settlers sought land, adventure, or a new way of life. A few original settlers rose to lead the community and, in some cases, lay the ground work for a future city. One of those cases is Naperville, Illinois. Naperville: A Brief History by Bryan J. Ogg provides the reader a peak into the people and events that shaped this city. 

Among the first settlers to arrive in the Naperville area was Joseph Naper, a former sailor on the Great Lakes, and by 1832 there were 180 people living in Naper’s Settlement. The DuPage River allowed for the growing settlement to have a sawmill, dam, and gristmill; these supplemented the farming community. In addition to the benefit of the DuPage River, the settlement was also at the crossroads of two major roads. These roads took other settlers south and northwest. As a result, the settlement grow to include breweries, limestone quarries, law offices, and banks, in addition to farms. In 1857, the Illinois General Assembly passed an act to make Naperville a village and it was the first official use of the name. From then, there was a steady growth in population (in 1890 it was 2,216; one hundred years later it was 85,351; in 2019 it is 148,449), land, industry, and community amenities. By the 1950s, Naperville was no long a majority farming community. Subdivisions sprang up to provide housing for the new technology jobs and commuters into Chicago. Today, Naperville is an active city with a vibrant downtown, excellent schools, and spacious parks.

Readers will see the growth of a community that came together for civic needs, celebrations, and tragedies. Schools, a library, and associations were created to serve the public and Naperville’s limestone quarries helped rebuild Chicago after the 1871 fire. The rich heritage of the city was celebrated during the centennial and sesquicentennial when public projects were dedicated and through the creation of Naper Settlement and public art. The residents did their part to support the nation through numerous wars and came together for a deadly train crash in 1946. 

The first comprehensive narrative about Naperville, since 1975, is a quick and interesting read. Street markers help resident readers picture the places mentioned and images and maps provide a look at what Naperville was like in the past. Statements from residents are incorporated throughout; these are either in the moment testimonies or reflections on what happened. Ogg sprinkles state, United States, and world history throughout for context to what was happening in Naperville. It will mostly appeal to past and current residents of Naperville. I found many names familiar, but learned what makes them significant in the history of Naperville. For example, the VFW is named after “Judd” Kendall. During World War I, he was tortured by the Germans for information regarding the First Division and Battle of Cantigny. Kendall refused to reveal anything and was eventually killed.

The Place

Naper Settlement is an outdoor history museum that brings Naperville’s past to life for visitors. Each building either highlights a significant moment in Naperville history or helps us understand what life was like years ago – from a replica of the fort built for the Black Hawk War to a one room school house to the Martin Mitchell Mansion. Caroline Martin Mitchell (granddaughter of a Naperville founder) bequeathed her land and mansion to Naperville and, in 1939, Naper Settlement opened. The historic buildings are open from April through October and closed for the winter. Guided walking tours are available and most buildings are staffed by a docent. Tickets can be purchased online or at Naper Settlement. Due to the coronavirus, face masks and social distancing are required. 

As a former resident of Naperville, I would be remiss not to encourage visitors to spend more time downtown Naperville. The Riverwalk provides a serene walk along the DuPage River, public artwork is sprinkled throughout downtown, and numerous restaurants and shops provide something for everyone. Just beyond the heart of downtown is the Naper Homestead (at the southeast corner of Jefferson Ave. and Mill St.); a park on the site of Joseph Naper’s home. It is a self-guided historic site with a nine-foot statue of Joseph Naper.

Today, residents and visitors to Naperville are greeted with a much different landscape than Joseph Naper and the other early settlers. But, if you look closely, you can still find remnants that hearken back to an early time. These remnants consist of carefully preserved buildings, statues bringing significant people to life, and many community spaces.

Canyons and Rapids

“Nothing in the teaming cities of the East or the rolling farmlands of the Midwest prepared the eye for this desert landscape. Both the scenery itself, and that scenery’s epic scale, were utterly unfamiliar” (172).

The Book

Four years after the end of the Civil War, nine men agree to join Joseph Wesley Powell on the Colorado River Exploring Expedition (CREE). Powell’s plan is to map the last unexplored area of the United States. Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon relies on the journals of three of those men to chronicle their adventure.

On May 24, 1869 the ten men set out from the Green River in the Wyoming Territory. They were all seeking adventure, but none had any experience with white water boating and they weren’t a solidified team. There were four boats and supplies to last 10 months. In addition to floating down the rivers, they planned to climb the cliffs out of the canyons, measure the altitudes, and collect fossils. Their journals reveal that most days were difficult: they faced angry rapids, loss of rations, and inclement weather. But Powell’s journal also revealed the experience of seeing the canyons for the first time. On August 29, the finally made it out of the Grand Canyon; their expedition was at an end. One boat had been lost in June, four men had chosen to hike out of the canyon in previous months, and there were less than 10 days of food left.

Down the Great Unknown does more than rely on journal entries, it draws from historians and experienced boatmen to help the reader truly understand what the ten men experienced. Author Dolnick takes the time to explain what it means to line or portage a rapid, the experience of going through a rapid, and the significance of the type of boat used. The narrative is easy to follow as the author switches from journal entries to explanations. One unique aspect was the map at the start of each chapter; it shows the CREE’s location as they floated down the Green River to the Grand River to the Colorado River.  

Ironically, both the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and a member of Powell’s expedition failed to see the draw of the Grand Canyon. In an 1861 report (Report Upon the Colorado River of the West), Lieutenant Joseph Christmas Ives said, “[This region] is, of course, altogether valueless. […] It seems intended by nature that the Colorado River, along the greater portion of its lonely and majestic way, shall be forever unvisited and undisturbed” (15). Little did they know that one day 5.9 million people, from around the world, would visit every year!

The Place

It’s hard to find words to describe Grand Canyon National Park. As you walk the path from the parking lot to the viewing area, it seems like you aren’t anywhere special. Then, all of sudden, the path reveals a canyon that is a mile deep, 10 miles across, and 300 miles long. The variety of views, colors, and rocks are truly incredible. When my family and I visited the Grand Canyon, we took a bus tour that enabled us to see four viewing areas of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon: Amphitheatre, Mather Point, Bright Angel Lodge, and Desert View. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is open year-round and access to the North Rim depends on the season.

Our trip also included a boat ride down the Colorado River; it was less eventful than Powell’s expedition, but just as beautiful. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area looks much different than it did during Powell’s trip. The main difference being Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon dam. Despite this, visitors are still awed by the rising canyon walls as they float down the Colorado River. Our trip began at the dam and meandered south until we reached Lee’s Ferry and the Vermillion Cliffs. Our guide pointed out wildlife, unique rock formations, petroglyphs, and parts of the CREE story. The park is open all day, every day.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still some buildings at both the Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that are closed.

The Mighty Mississippi

“It’s impossible to imagine America without the Mississippi” (1).

The Book

The Mississippi River is part of history and legend. Her waters are used for business, pleasure, and culture. Old Man River: The Mississippi River in North American History by Paul Schneider weaves these threads together in what could be called a biography and a memoir.

The biography follows the Mississippi chronologically from the Ice Age to present day. The reader is introduced to not only the Mississippi, but her tributaries and the entire watershed. For most of history, control of the Mississippi was a point of contention and even war – beginning with the Native Americans and ending with the Civil War. At the same time, the Mississippi was also a main artery for commerce, with cultures developing along its banks. River culture first developed among Native American nations and then the Europeans/Americans who traveled west. In 1807, the invention of the steamboat ushered in a new era, having a major impact on economy, tourism, and population in the Mississippi River watershed. “Today, more than 90% of the agricultural exports of the United States – 5 hundred million tons a year – goes down the [Mississippi] river to the world” (211). The last section of the book focuses on the work of engineers to make the river more navigable. Schneider argues that while this makes it easier for commerce, is has a negative impact on the Mississippi’s ecosystem.

This was a unique book to read. Each brief chapter is like a vignette loosely tied to the overall narrative. The memoir intersperses Schneider’s own experiences, whether looking for effigy mounds or floating down the Mississippi with his son, with the history of the Mississippi. This took a bit of time to totally follow, but once I did, I appreciated the organization. A lot of history is covered, but in a way that doesn’t overwhelm or make the reader feel like they missed something. The first-hand accounts from archeologists, recognizable names, and everyday people help bring to life the stories. Throughout the book, Schneider provides word pictures that allows the reader to travel with him and “experience” the Mississippi.

The Place

Unlike other posts on this blog, there isn’t one place to visit when it comes to the Mississippi River. You can see it from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. You can drive across it, float down it, or observe it. I have driven across it, walked along it (in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri), and gazed down on it (in Missouri). I remember the first time I saw it and how I was struck by the width of the river. It was winter in Illinois, so the Mississippi was frozen in many places. The second time, was in St. Louis in the summer. The river was wide and muddy, with barges slowly making their way south. To a certain extent, the Mississippi River is a part of the lore of our culture. It was the final hurdle to the west, it is a geographic barrier, it is a commercial highway, and it lives in narratives. No matter how you experience the Mississippi or what time or year it is, it is an incredible body of water.

Innovative Military Strategist or Villain?

“[Sherman] was a military man with a military mind, and this would become increasingly obvious as he struggled to find himself” (55).

The Book

Sherman. This one name could be one of the most divisive ones in American history. For some, he was an innovative military strategist who helped win the Civil War. For others, he was a villain who laid waste to train tracks and state capitals. In Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman, author Robert L. O’Connell aims to focus on Sherman’s actions and how they defined the man.

Fierce Patriot begins with Sherman’s arrival at the United States Military Academy at West Point, tracing his growth as a professional soldier and military strategist through the Second Seminole War and Mexican War to the Civil War. He briefly left the army, trying his hand in the private sector. However, Sherman took the South’s secession personally – as a strong nationalist – and rejoined the army. By 1862, Sherman was a field commander directly under General Grant. The descriptions of major battles include not only Sherman’s words and actions, but also the recollections of the soldiers under his command. He developed a unique relationship with the soldiers he referred to as “his boys”; many of them fighting together for the entire Civil War.

The final section of the book focuses on Sherman’s personal life. At the age of nine, his father dies, and Sherman is taken in by the socially (and soon to be politically) prominent family of Thomas Ewing. Sherman benefited greatly from the education and support of the Ewing name, but was also often at odds with Thomas Ewing. When Sherman married his foster sister Ellen, he had to compete with the long shadow of his father-in-law. The only thing Sherman ever wanted to be was a professional soldier; sometimes his family, events, or he himself got in the way. He retired as general of the United States Army in 1883 and attended as many army reunions as he could.

O’Connell organizes the book in a unique way. There are three separate sections that deal with aspects of Sherman’s character: the military strategist, the general, and the man. There is some overlap and the organization takes time to adjust to, but overall, it is nice to read a biography that isn’t completely chronological. The author does include several analogies comparing the people he writes about to real or fictional people. This doesn’t seem to add much to the narrative, instead distracting the reader. Both Sherman’s words and the observations of others are included; particularly interesting are the interactions Sherman had with Lincoln. Because the book focuses on Sherman, it provides another way to approach the Civil War; even the most read Civil War buff will be drawn in.

The Place

The Sherman House Museum preserves the birthplace of William T. Sherman. Most of the house was restored to appear as it did when the Sherman family lived there. On the tour, visitors will learn about Sherman’s family history and see artifacts from his childhood. A tour guide takes you through the rooms, sharing stories about various pieces (including Sherman’s baby cradle). Half of the second story is devoted to Sherman’s military career. Here, visitors will see artifacts from his time at West Point, a recreation of his Civil War battlefield tent, and items he used during the Civil War. The final upstairs room includes a variety of weapons and military items used during the Civil War, as well as Grand Army of the Republic reunion souvenirs.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday with tours beginning on the hour from 12pm to 3pm. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone and masks are required in the museum. The section devoted to Sherman’s military career is self-guided and includes a lot of reading. The Sherman House Museum can easily be toured in a couple of hours, leaving time to explore the rest of Lancaster, Ohio. Downtown Lancaster has many quaint shops and cafés. A short drive from downtown is Rising Park, which gives spectacular views of Lancaster and the surrounding area.