World War II

On this 66th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I want to write about comradeship that transcends eras and conflicts. You see the images of this day that always get me are those of the survivors going back to honor their fallen comrades at the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. Those old men gazing down into the waters thinking of the young men who lie entombed beneath never fail to bring tears to my eyes.

As I was contemplating what to write today, I came across an update to a story I’ve been following on CNN, that of 25-year-old marine Sgt. Ty Ziegel, horribly injured and disfigured in Iraq and fighting the VA to receive the full benefits he so richly deserves. Today’s story, featured in the screen capture above, is entitled, “WWII Vet: Wounded Marine’s Story ‘Broke My Heart.’”

In it you will read about 84-year-old Medal of Honor winner Chief Warrant Officer Hershel “Woody” Williams who reached out to Ziegel. This elderly veteran of Iowa Jima crossing barriers of time and age to honor a young Marine made me cry as surely as those images of Pearl Honor ceremonies. (Click here for ABC’s story “Survivors Remember Pearl Harbor.”)

What these stories illustrate to us in tandem is the power of the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of those who serve. Both men, Williams and Ziegel regards the other as a hero and after you read their stories, I think you’ll feel the same day. I can’t think of a better way to remember Pearl Harbor on this anniversary.

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Looking for more good reads from 451Press? Try “Martin Luther King, Made in China” from CurrentEventsWatch.com or “Beat the Christmas Shopping Blues” at LifeTipsDaily.com.

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WWII, World War II, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, Medal of Honor, Ty Ziegel, Hershel Williams

Many years ago I remember reading a book by Kate Hafner, “Where Wizards Stay Up Late: the Origins of The Internet.” (Non-affiliate Amazon link to the book for information purposes only.) It was a fascinating read, but I don’t remember any information about six women who were responsible for hacking into ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) and making it easier for the folks who followed behind them to access and develop the monster leviathan that is the great-great-great-great-granddaddy of the laptop I’m using to write this entry.

World War II was coming to an end and the Army had a unique shortage — not enough male mathematicians. The ABC news story (featured in the screen cap above the text and accessible here) “First Computer Programmers Inspire Documentary” tells the story of five women who stepped forward to fill that void. Their stories have been recorded by historian Kathy Kleiman and the women — Jean Bartik, Marlyn Meltzer, Kathleen Mauchly Antonelli, Betty Snyder Holberton, Ruth Lichterman Teitelbaum, and Frances Bilas Spence — are the subject of the resulting documentary “Invisible Computers: The Story of the ENIAC Programmers.”

These women were so discounted by history that they weren’t invited to the 40th anniversary of the ENIAC project and Kleiman only found them after seeing a photo of them standing by the massive computer. Assured by a computer historian that the women were just there as window dressing, Kleiman didn’t buy it and made it her work to track them down and find out the true story.

This is not just the tale of the dawn of the computing age in the closing days of World War II, but also a shocking look at sexism of the rankest order in the United States that persisted well beyond the war years. For more on the documentary, which I can hardly wait to see, click here.)

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Looking for more blogs to read? Try “Once Upon A Time” at the HogwartsHerald.com or “Pleasing Holiday Guests” at EarthlyEating.com.

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WWII, World War II, ENIAC, computer history