Podcasts about Private first class

Send us a textOne of the issues it seems we all have to work through is the issue of pride. But it can easily sneak into life without us even realizing it. Pride can impact our marriages, our parenting, and every other aspect of our lives.My guest today is Cody Martin, a man who has been working through this issue over his years. From serving our country in the special forces to everyday life, he shares his thoughts and experiences in dealing with pride.Cody has been married for nine years only by the grace of God, with five kids ranging from 15 to 3 years old. He has gone to church since he was little but only really accepted Jesus Christ into his life during his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2009. He started military service as a Private First Class in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Next, he attended Saint John's University ROTC and after graduation, earned a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the active-duty army, where he was a field artillery officer until he tried out for special forces. In 2021 he medically retired from the 7th Special Forces Group as a Major and became a Field Skills Instructor as a contractor for the Air Force. Cody has recently created his own business called Chosen Property Management LLC.Since every man has some challenge with pride, this is an important and critical conversation that we all need to hear.  To learn about Mighty Oaks Programs:https://www.mightyoaksprograms.org/ To learn more about Significant Man Ministry:https://SignificantMan.com   Questions Answered: Why do you think there are so many warnings about pride in the Bible?How does pride lead into other sins?What are some ways that pride impacted your own walk as a man?Did your wife call out your issue with pride, or did you realize it yourself?How does pride impact our relationship with God?How can pride be a slippery slope?What are the ways pride shows up in your marriage?What are your thoughts on how humility connects into the discussion of pride?How does our culture of doing better and doing more impact our pride?What happens when the center of a man is himself instead of God?What's the danger of a man wearing masks in life?Why do the people who matter the most get hurt the most?Why does breakthrough happen so often when a man hits the breaking point?What do you think the difference is between being proud of something and being prideful?What's the importance of starting small as men deal with pride in their lives?

Private First Class Robert Earl Sechrist served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and pathfinder during World War II. As a Pathfinder, Secrist was one of the first men to parachute into France before the invasion of Normandy, tasked with guiding other Paratroopers to their landing zone. As he landed in France, Sechrist's parachute got stuck in a hedgerow, and he immediately started taking fire from the Germans.  Editor's Note: It's unknown what rank Sechrist reached by retirement. All we know is that he was a Private First Class when he jumped into France on D-Day.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

D-Day Anniversary   Today is the 80th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landing. Many of the heroes of the Greatest generation traveled back to Normandy for a final visit. All are over 90 years old, many over 100.   When I was growing up, everyone I knew had a relative who had been killed during World War II. Many of them were killed during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. Operation Overlord was the largest amphibious invasion in history, and was the beginning of the rescue of Europe from the Nazis. It was only the beginning. The war in Europe continued for another 11 months.   I had known that my cousin Herman was killed in Normandy. For years, I assumed he had been killed during the invasion on June 6. Recently, I discovered a web page that covered Herman Cohen's service, and learned that he had survived the landing at Utah Beach, and was killed in battle 5 weeks later. During the invasion, he was a Private First Class. As senior soldiers were killed, he was promoted to Sergeant.   In the photos on the website, Private Cohen looks like a young kid before the invasion. In the photo taken shortly before his death, Sergeant Cohen looks like a battle-hardened soldier.   Here is the website telling Herman Cohen's story: https://delawarewwiifallen.com/2022/01/24/sergeant-herman-cohen/   Many of the soldiers in the landing craft would sign “short snorter” one-dollar bills. They would each pass a bill around to get everyone's signature on it, hoping to survive with a souvenir.   Every June 6th I go to Youtube to watch the 10-minute D-Day invasion scene in Saving Private Ryan.

On this episode, I speak with retired veteran, Jeffrey Shonk. Jeffrey is a survivor of a triple shooting, which left Specialist John Carrillo and Private First Class, Gebrah Noonan dead. Specialist Nefatly Platero is convicted of the double murder and attempted murder. He is currently serving life without the possibility of parole in federal prison.unforbiddentruthpodcast.comCorrection *John Carrillo was a Specialist not private first class*Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unforbidden-truth--4724561/support.

We're awash in new games this week, with Mars After Midnight, Contra: Operation Galuga, WWE 2K24, and more joining old favs like FF7 Rebirth. Also: the tragic loss of Akira Toriyama, the harassment campaign around Sweet Baby Inc., the mystery of the flying space bugs, and more. Advertise on The Nextlander Podcast at Audioboom, or support us on Patreon! CHAPTERS (00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:09) Intro (00:00:36) Daylight Saving Time is here again (00:03:17) Vermont and Casey Jones have the freshest powder? (00:10:14) Show rundown (00:10:58) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth [PlayStation 5] on Feb 29, 2024 (00:25:21) WWE 2K24 [PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows)] on Mar 08, 2024 (00:33:00) Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story [PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch] on Mar 13, 2024 (00:41:47) Mars After Midnight [Playdate] on Mar 12, 2024 (00:48:39) Contra: Operation Galuga [Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows)] on Mar 12, 2024 (00:54:51) Top Racer Collection [Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S] on Mar 07, 2024 (00:58:52) Balatro [PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One] on Feb 20, 2024 (00:59:55) Akira Toriyama has passed away (01:10:00) Sweet Baby, what's going on here? (01:23:32) Summer Game Fest gets a date (01:27:30) MultiVersus is coming back (01:35:13) Stig Asmussen has a new studio (01:37:34) Helldivers 2 continues to be pretty cool (01:41:44) Wrapping up and thanks (01:46:02) Mysterious Benefactor Shoutouts (01:47:29) Nextlander content updates (01:50:34) See ya!

On this episode of Point of Relation, Thomas is joined by author, political candidate, and former US Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, and author, consultant, and advocate for post-trauma awareness, Bob Delaney. They discuss the trauma faced by public servants, including those in law enforcement, and what can be done to foster healing and end cultural stigmas around therapy and mental health challenges.  Harry opens up about how he's channeling his anger from a traumatic experience into positive action for change. He explains how his willingness to be open about his struggles has been instrumental in his healing and is now an inspiration for others. All three agree that vulnerability comes from a place of strength, not weakness, and they explore how we can create safe, judgment-free environments where those who have experienced trauma can feel comfortable opening up and receiving help. Point of Relation podcast does not support or oppose candidates for public office or political parties. Guest appearances do not imply endorsement by the host or producers.  ✨ Join Thomas, Sounds True founder Tami Simon, and renowned poet Andrea Gibson for a collective presencing live event - The Crisis of Us and Them: Healing Our Tendency to Divide and Polarize.

In this deeply personal video, Krishna America Flores, a dedicated member of the US Marines, shares her poignant journey from enlistment to combat deployment. Born in New York and having grown up with a backdrop of the El Salvador Civil War, Flores enlisted as a Private First Class and quickly rose through the ranks. Her story takes us from the bustling streets of New York to the challenging terrains of Okinawa deployment and the war in Iraq. As a female marine, she faced unique challenges, including a harrowing incident where she was assaulted within the military ranks. This video sheds light on the experiences of female combat veterans, particularly during their combat deployment in Iraq. Flores' narrative is not just about the challenges enlisted marines face, or about solely E-4 marines in motor transport roles, but also about resilience, recovery, and her mission to improve veteran affairs. Join us, as Urban Valor presents this compelling story, offering an intimate look into the lives of war veterans, the realities of military PTSD, and the indomitable spirit of our military veterans.#military #veteran #urbanvalor #combatveteran #ptsd #usmarines #marines

Sandra Gonzalez is a retired United States Marine Corps officer, life coach, and public speaker. During Part I, Sandra takes us back to her upbringing in Los Angeles. Her father was an assertive father with a strong moral compass. Listen to her explain how he helped shape and mold her into the woman she is today. What led her to walk into the Marine recruiter's office? What was her experience as the Private First Class for General James Mattis? Being one of three females in her Marine regiment, was she the brunt of discrimination or harassment early in her career? Finally, Sandra talks about her 20-year career, including her time as a Marine Drill Instructor. Find out all about Sandra at https://sandragonzalez.com/ Check out this episode at www.linktr.ee/ShadowsPodcast or www.theshadowspodcast.com. Tune in this Thursday for Part II of this great conversation! Sandra will discuss what made her decision to retire from the Marines, going through her difficult divorce, finding her father unconscious, and having to display resiliency through the most challenging times in her life. She also opens up about starting a business coaching women in Dubai, Sexy Confidence Blueprint, and she continues celebrating her father's legacy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shadows-podcast/support

Army Private First Class Ezequiel Rodriguez-Guadalupe joins Sid in WABC's Holiday Radiothon for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation yo raise money for America's heroes and their families during the foundation's annual Season of Hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Private First Class, Gerry Irwin, is driving back to his post in Texas on a cold February evening when he spots something extraordinary that will change his life and leave him questioning reality. 

Welcome back to Oddities, the podcast where no topic is too *~*StRaNgE*~*! This week with a pretty heavy topic with Cassie covering the suspicious Death of Private First Class LaVena Lynn Johnson. Disclaimer this topic may be disturbing to some listeners. After Kellie dives in covering the Vicious and Vengeful Saint Olga of Kiev for some much needed revenge of the wrong doers! Follow us on social media:FacebookInstagramEmail: Oddities.talk@gmail.comCheck out our Merch!Support the show

In 2007, I was a twenty year old Private First Class stationed in Fort Gordon, Georgia. I would spend my evenings walking down to the Huddle House on post and that's where I wrote the first draft of The Forever Sleep, which was my take on a cyber punk future of stasis tanks, virtual reality, and the men who maintain such a place.  To subscribe for $2.99 per month, go to https://anchor.fm/dividedbyzerobooks/subscribe

Today on The Neil Haley Show, Neill will iinterview ARMY RESERVE LIEUTENANT COLONEL RUTH CASTRO AND HER DAUGHTER JAELENE.   LTC Ruth Castro was born in Toledo, OH and raised in St. James, MN and La Victoria, TX. She enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard, as a Private First Class in 1999, serving in St. Paul as a personnel services specialist in the Adjutant General Corps. In 2003, after receiving a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at Texas A&M, she was commissioned into the AG Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Her first officer assignment was with the 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in San Antonio, TX. JAELENE CASTRO Jaelene is currently an 8th grade student in Manassas, VA. She is the oldest of four children. She plays the flute in her school band, participates in Heart & Sole program in her middle school and is currently taking her love for horses to a new level by learning how to ride horses. Jaelene volunteers at her church to help with the pre-school classroom and is actively involved in her church's youth group. She is a black belt in Taekwondo and member of the CIT (Certified Instructor Training) program at her DoJo. Jaelene teaches Taekwondo once a week at her DoJo and assists other instructors as needed. Jaelene is the reigning United States of America's Teen District of Columbia 2022, a title she won alongside

I'm so honored to host Kerri Jeter, an Army veteran who is helping women in the military share their stories. We will also use this time to address military sexual trauma, which is like cancer within our Armed Forces, and what we can do to help stop it. Kerri is the Founder of Freedom Sisters Media and served in the U.S. Army for 12-years, starting as a Private First Class and exiting as a senior Captain. During her time in service, she served in Human Resources, Finance, Training, and Public Affairs; building critical and lasting systems for the Army that are still being utilized today. Kerri, won the prestigious title Ms. Veteran America 2015, advocating for her Sisters-in-Arms that had fallen on hard times. After her own journey of self-discovery and embracing her entrepreneurial spirit, Kerri launched Freedom Sisters Media to create content, connection, and community for women who defend freedom. Kerri and her team of writeHERs share women-directed stories and embodied experiences in and out of the uniform with the community through audio, digital media, film, publications social media, events and in real life.For more information on Freedom Sisters Media - https://freedomsisters.com/

Private First Class Mohammad Zekria Yousufi, who goes by Zach, grew up in Afghanistan. He talks about what it was like living under the Taliban, his decision to help the Army as an interpreter, and then deciding to join the Army. He also shares the story of going to Captain Jon McNeal with a plea to help his family leave Afghanistan as the war was winding down, and how they were able to get his family to safety.

In 2004, 19 year old, Private First Class, Michael Yandell, a U.S. Army Bomb Disposal Specialist, was sweeping a stretch of Baghdad Airport Road, or "Route Irish" as the U.S. military called it, when he and his partner encountered a recycled abandoned artillery shell casing. Rather than risk continued potential exposure to sniper fire, they opted to take this shell casing back to base and dispose of it safely.Within minutes, both soldiers knew something had gone terribly wrong.What followed this incident continues to shape Rev. Dr. Michael Yandell's perspective on life. Michael recently finished his PhD in Theological Studies at Emory's Laney Graduate School in Atlanta, GA. Michael's focus was on the topic of moral injury.Listen as Michael sits down with Blair Lewis to share what led him to Iraq shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the growing disillusionment he felt about the righteous high ground he once felt so certain in.Michael's story has a redemptive arc as he searched for meaning in a world that felt increasingly meaningless. Rather than abandon the faith he was raised with, Michael was able to transform the way he experienced God by adapting the perspective commonly known as Liberation Theology.

LaVena Johnson was 19 years old when she died on July 19th 2005. She was a black, female Private First Class in the US Army. Despite the glaring evidence that suggested otherwise, the US Army ruled LaVena’s death as a suicide. This episode explores this evidence and also looks at the uphill battle the Johnson family have been fighting for the past 15 years. *******************************************************************************Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Infraction, we value your support more than you know! If you liked what you heard, please tell your friends! We are on Instagram @infraction.thepod.If you have a case you want us to cover, please submit your suggestions here: https://forms.gle/8RL9wSbu6DZeBa5D8  Our theme music is the work of the very talented Joseph McDade.PETITION TO REOPEN LAVENA JOHNSON’S CASE:https://www.change.org/p/u-s-criminal-investigative-command-for-the-army-reopen-lavena-johnson-s-case?recruiter=1010875944&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=f50d5320-f382-11e9-b61f-6f553140897e&utm_content=fht-22621650-en-us%3Av2CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES: PETITION FOR A BILL OF RIGHTS FOR BEREAVED MILITARY FAMILIES:https://www.petition2congress.com/ctas/bill-rights-bereaved-military-families(this petition requires a US zip-code, if you are not from the US you can use 90015 (LA) or 10001 (NYC)).Sources used in this episode:The Silent Truth Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=5HGhaiJZNmc&feature=emb_logoThe Facebook Group Dedicated to Finding Lavena Johnson: https://www.facebook.com/groups/190880771002636/https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/10-years-later-soldiers-family-still-grieves-and-questions-armys-version-her-death#stream/0https://thehueandcry.com/lavena-johnson/https://thesource.com/2014/01/21/justice-for-lavena-johnson-raped-murdered-or-suicide-the-evidence-says-one-thing-u-s-military-says-another/https://now.org/read-this/is_there_an_army_cover_up_of_rape_and_mu/#:~:text=Is%20There%20an%20Army%20Cover%2DUp%20of,and%20Murder%20of%20Women%20Soldiers%3F&text=Ann%20Wright%20writes%20of%20deaths,'%20and%20then%20added%20'suicide.https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/07/18/questions-linger-decade-private-lavena-johnsons-death/https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/07/18/questions-linger-decade-private-lavena-johnsons-death/https://thehueandcry.com/tina-priest/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93493468?storyId=93493468&t=1593014693548https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/IF10899.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Wrighthttps://www.donaldwatkins.com/post/the-murder-of-pfc-lavena-johnson-part-3https://theintercept.com/2018/11/19/civilian-casualties-us-war-on-terror/ 

In this episode we get down to the facts of sexual assault and harassment in the military.   Vanessa Guillen is a 23 year old Private First Class in the Army who went missing on 22 April 2020 after telling her family she was being sexually harassed by one of her sergeants at Fort Hood, an Army post in Texas. According to an article by CNN her car keys, room key, Identification card, and wallet were found in an armory room where she worked that day. Today we found out that the human remains found were her.  This is disappointing and discouraging. In this episode I give you facts about sexual assault and harassment in the military, and pretty much lose my crap at least a couple of times.  This was hard to record and I was in tears at one point, it's time for a change! Towards the end I give some advice in regards to reporting and covering your butt, in hopes that we can start saving each other.  If people are our most important access, then act like it! Talk to ya soon!   Https://www.selftalkswithme.com   "Yourself Reimagined" Waitlist- https://www.selftalkswithme.com/pl/135749   Sources https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/us/vanessa-guillen-suspects-fort-hood/index.html https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/1_Department_of_Defense_Fiscal_Year_2019_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf https://www.protectourdefenders.com/factsheet/     Music: We Are Here by Declan DP https://soundcloud.com/declandp Licensing Agreement: http://declandp.info/music-licensing Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_we-are-here Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kNqzp11gXio

The story of cousins, Staff Sgt. Harold Davis and Pfc Wallace Bitton.

Host: Allan NewsomeRunning time: 0:42:23 Cort Howell is the son of Hoke Howell who played Dud Wash. Dud was Charlene’s husband who had been trained in gorilla warfare in the Army from which he was honorably discharged as a Private First Class. When Dud returned to Mayberry he still had all of Charlene’s letters, her […]

My brother, Private First Class joins me as the inaugural guest on the podcast. Enjoy yourself and Merry Christmas!

Veterans Day is always an important holiday! Edge of Your Seat Podcast was lucky enough to attend a special ceremony for Private First Class Rylee Klema. Klema graduated from Mendota in 2018 after leading the Lady Trojans to their first softball regional title. After the ceremony, she talked about her time at Mendota, what she is doing for schooling and her time as a member of the Army Reserve.

Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. These are their letters home. Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (www.walswheeling.com). Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music courtesy the Library of Congress. Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"I think we will start for Camp Lee the 2nd to be mustered out of the Army. I think I will get home some day next week. Gee but I would like to see all of you. It been nearly a year and a half since I saw you..." In his twenty-second and final letter home dated May 31, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, is writing from Camp Stuart in Newpoert News Virginia, having just returned from France. He tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he didn't get sick on the long journey overseas. He thinks he'll soon be sent back to Camp Lee to be mustered out of the Army. He tells his brother to watch the Wheeling newspapers for word about the troops coming home. Elsewhere on the same day, Howdy Wilcox won the Indianapolis 500 in five hours and forty minutes. By comparison, the 2019 winner took just two hours and fifty minutes. With the war over, the effort to cross the Atlantic ocean by airplane was resumed. On May 31, 1919, the Curtiss seaplane NC-4, a US Navy plane commanded by Albert C. Read, made the crossing with six stops before finally landing in England in 23 days. The first nonstop trans-Atlantic flight would be made by Charles Lindbergh eight years later in 1927. He made it from New York to Paris in just 33.5 hours. A modern jet plane can make the same flight in about 9 hours. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his twenty-second and final letter home, dated 100 years ago today, May 31, 1919.

Episode 8 is part love story and part war story.  We explore File Number 0191 from the investigative case files of the Chief Rick Stone and Family Charitable Foundation regarding a 25 year old lumber mill worker from Oregon who became a combat veteran in the steamy jungles of Guadalcanal in World War II. After being shipped with his unit to New Zealand for a period of rest, refit, and retraining, our young Private First Class found love in this far off land.  Not wanting to wait for the war to end, he married his 18 year old New Zealand sweetheart only a few weeks before shipping out again.  PFC Victor Harold Feldner met his doom on the tiny island of Tarawa in the South Pacific. Hear how a daughter has waited her whole life for her father's return and the Foundation's investigative conclusions about his loss and recovery location.

In his twenty-first letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his sixth letter home from France, dated February 25, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that they are having a good bit of rain in France. He’s read that his division will finally sail for home in May. He’s glad because he hopes the sea will be less rough in a few months. The trip will be smoother with less chance of seasickness. It took 14 days to get to France. Dutch thinks the return trip will be faster. Dutch has finally been informed about the telegram announcing the death of Lester Scott, but he still hasn’t been able to find out anything from the Army. Elsewhere on the same day, future professional baseball hall of famer Monte Irvin, one of the best players to make the switch from the Negro Leagues to the Major Leagues after Jackie Robinson, was born. Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home, September 29, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's February 25, 1919 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-february-25-1919-charles-riggle Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: Castle's half and half | James Reese(composer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

In his twentieth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his fifth letter home from France, dated January 26, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that, despite being homesick, he is well and hearty and feeling fine. They are stuck in France taking care of 107 horses and mules. Dutch wants to get back to farming by spring. He is getting all the cheap wine he wants but the French whiskey is no good. He still hasn’t heard anything about Les [the family back home received a death notice by telegram dated January 8]. He’s heard a rumor that Les died, and another rumor from Tib Meriner that Les was back at Camp Lee. He’s not sure when he’ll get to leave for home. Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home, September 29, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's January 26, 1919 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-january-26-1919-charles-riggle Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: Castle's half and half | James Reese(composer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

“I think the war is over for good don’t you? For I think them Germans won’t want another war very soon the way they got beat in this one….” In his nineteenth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his fourth letter home from France, dated December 16, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he’s been worried about his family back home about because of that “disease raging” [a reference to the 1918 influenza or “Spanish Flu” pandemic, fueled in part by troop movements during the war, that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide]. He wants to know if they've heard anything about his brother-in-law Les Scott [who had actually died on October 29, but neither Dutch nor his family would learn of this until January]. He knows Les was taken to the hospital and heard once that he might have died, but Dutch hopes his friend is somehow still alive. He’d seen Les about a week before he was injured but couldn’t talk because the German shelling was too intense. He’s not sure when they’ll get to come home, but hopes maybe sometime in the winter. He can’t talk about his experiences on the front until he gets home, except to say he was in the fight for 50 straight days and nights. Elsewhere on the same day, German forces continued to withdraw from places like Finland, Kiev, and Estonia, and a “spectacular procession” and “stunning” woman suffrage protest was held in Washinton, D.C. on the anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is his nineteenth letter home, dated 100 years ago today, December 16, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's December 16, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-december-16-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Old Pal (Why don't you answer me?)," Soman, Herbert. (performer), Lieberield, Daniel. (performer), 1921, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/00694035/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

“I can’t tell you about Less. He got badly hurt and they took him to the hospital. I heard once he died, but I don’t know if that was correct or not. I hope it wasn’t correct for I would like to went back to the states with him…” In his eighteenth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his third letter home from France, dated November 25, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle he’s sorry he hasn’t written. He didn’t have much time to write while he was on the front, but now that the war is over, he has all kinds of time. He can’t wait to see the “good old states” again. Dutch had some narrow escapes on the front but came out without a scratch. A good many men from the 314th got hurt, but only four were killed. He has no news about Les. He was badly hurt and taken to the hospital. Dutch heard Les might have died. He hopes that isn’t true. He would like to go back to the states together. Les drove the rolling kitchen for Battery A. Dutch would like to be home for Thanksgiving and hunt rabbit. He and Tib Meriner had been hunting hogs. He like to get some good apples for winter. he doesn’t think there will be another war any time soon. They drove the “Dutch” 48 miles in 50 days. Charles Riggle sent this letter a full two weeks after the armistice ending the Great War was signed in Paris. Elsewhere on that same day, Major General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck of Germany, known affectionately as “The Lion of Africa,” finally surrendered his forces in German East Africa. He had employed a guerrilla, bush-fighting style with his African Askari troops (he spoke fluent Swahili) to harass and confuse British forces, allowing him to exit from the war as the only undefeated military commander on either side. He later led a conservative opposition to Hitler and would have died in poverty but for a small pension organized by his former British and South African enemies. Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home, November 25, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's November 25, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-november-25-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Hail Columbia; Star Spangled Banner," 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010368/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"I think the Germans is nearly licked now. I want to see it over in time to go to the Jacktown fair next year..." In his seventeenth letter home (his second from France after fifteen from Camp Lee) dated August 1, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle he supposes Abe will be getting "the call" [for the draft] soon, since all the other young fellows from the ridge are already in France (even though Tom didn't pass the exam). Dutch thinks it must be lonely on the ridge. Dutch is on the firing range a lot practicing on the powerful 3-inch French guns that "don't hurt the ears like the American 3 inch does." Les is doing fine. Dutch sees him nearly every day. Walter Toland is in England (probably having a good time). Dutch has heard the soldiers might get to vote in the upcoming election but thinks it will be to much bother. The regiment is "quite a ways from the front yet." The allies are closing on Berlin and Dutch hopes the war is over in time for him to attend the Jacktown Fair. Elsewhere on the same day, the Allies attacked and captured Archangel defenses (part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War), British troops entered Vladivostok, and the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves played a record 20 scoreless innings before the Pirates won, 2-0 in the 21st inning. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his seventeenth letter home, dated 100 years ago today, August 1, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's August 1, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-august-1-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Porcupine Rag," Johnson, Chas. J. (composer), New York Military Band, 1915, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035782/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

Greg Cope White was a skinny, scrawny, gay teen when he joined the Marines- back when being gay would get a soldier dishonorably discharged. So why did he enlist? Greg's best friend had enlisted. What dude doesn’t want to go to “summer camp” with his best friend? Please welcome this week’s special guest as he breaks down 13 weeks hiding in a barracks without a closet, soaring to Private First Class, moving to NYC instead of becoming JAG, meeting and working with Norman Lear, writing for TV, his upcoming Netflix Original film, his upcoming television series, and his hysterically funny memoir that celebrates patriotism and perseverance: “The Pink Marine- One Boys Journey Through Boot Camp to Manhood.”

"Somewhere in France...It's is a nice country alright. It's no wonder the French is fighting so hard for it." In his sixteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated June 22, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, in a letter addressed "Somewhere in France," that the weather is dandy and that he likes France just fine, but he's not sure how he will like it when he gets "into the scrap." He says the "trip across the pond" was a long one. Les got a little seasick. The Germans are getting about all they want now. He hopes to finish the war in time to make the rabbit hunt in fall. Elsewhere on the same day, a horrific train wreck occurred near Hammond, Indiana when an engineer fell asleep, allowing his locomotive to crash into another. The Hammond Circus Train Wreck killed 86 people, many of them circus performers, in one of the worst such disasters in American history. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his sixteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, June 22, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's June 22, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-june-22-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Castle Valse Classique," [Europe, James Reese] (composer), [Dabney, Ford] (composer), Metropolitan Military Band (performer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010721/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"We han't allowed to write any military information anymore, and you see a fellow hasn't got much to write" In his fifteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated May 19, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's still in Battery F but doesn't know for how much longer. He's drilling a great deal but he can't talk about the military anymore. He had his picture taken and he'll send one home. That's about it! Elsewhere on the same day, German planes raided London and bombed British hospitals outside the war zone, killing or wounding hundreds. Airman Gervais Raoul Victor Lufbery, who served in both the French Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Service, was killed in aerial combat. Meanwhile on the home front, the Washington Senators Walter Johnson pitched a grueling 18 innings to beat the Cleveland Indians (whose pitcher also went the distance) 1-0. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his fifteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, May 19, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's May 19, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-may-19-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: Castle's half and half | James Reese(composer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"P.S. Boss don't you worry while me and Less is gone, for we will be back in about a year from now. Ha Ha!" In his fourteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated May 6, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's as well as ever and having a good time eight miles from Camp Lee on military police duty. They are guarding an electrical power plant, a waterworks, and a bridge across the Appomattox River. It's a dandy place to fish. The plant supplies electricity and water for Camp Lee. It's "90 degrees in the shade," but they have a swing to jump in the river. He says Les [Lester Scott] is "driving mules every day." If Charles Gettings is sent to Camp Lee, Dutch wants him to look him up. He's still with Tub Meriner, a "dandy good fellow." Dutch supposes Walter Toland is showing his courage now in France. He thinks we've got a good Army of a million men in France and even though they are not fighting much now, the Germans will get licked soon. Just a few days prior on May 2, 1918, British and French military leaders argued at a meeting in Abbeville over the entry of U.S. troops into the conflict. American soldiers were arriving at the rate of 120,000 per month, but as Charles Riggle noted in his letter, very few were yet involved in fighting despite the ongoing German Spring Offensive. General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), resisted giving the Allies power to command his troops. Pershing reached a compromise, allowing one third of U.S. troops to join the effort by July. The remainder would benefit from more training. These decisions would have important repercussions for Wheeling PFCs Charles Riggle and Lester Scott and their comrades in arms. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his fourteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, May 6, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's May 6, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-may-6-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Junk Man Rag," Roberts, [Luckyeth] (composer), Victor Military Band (performer), 1913, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"This surely is going to be the longest war we ever had. It surely has been some bloody fighting but I think the Germans is getting licked every day..." In his thirteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated April 22, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's been at Camp Lee for seven months yesterday, and it feels like he might never leave. He thought sure he'd be in France by now. He was at the supply company with Tib Meriner to see Les [Lester Scott] and hear some music. Les had a borrowed fiddle that Tib could play some. He saw Bill Wallace, who is in the infantry. Dutch wants to know if Chas Gellings has been called yet. He saw where Chas Milliken was. The camp is full of rookies. They walk the fifteen miles to Dutch Gap, rain or shine. It rained so hard last time the fellows' shoes were full of water. Yes, Dutch knew Jesse Bond Hewitt [a Marshall County boy who died of pneumonia at sea on March 19, 1918 after training at Camp Lee]. He was "a pretty good fellow" and Dutch's good old friend. The people of Marshall County sent down a powerful bunch of tobacco. Dutch got twenty packs. There are about 100 Marshall County boys in the regiment. Dutch wants to know if James has broken the colts and started farming this spring. Dutch sent home a shell so James could see how those guns jar a fellow. Dutch thinks this will be the longest war we ever had, even though the Germans are getting licked. Elsewhere on the same day Baron Goto was appointed Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (ethnic Armenians, Georgians and Azerbaijanis) declared independence and went to war with the Ottoman Empire. Future Major League Baseball star Mickey Vernon was born. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his thirteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 22, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's April 22, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-april-22-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Hail Columbia ; Star Spangled Banner," 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010368/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"I think the Germans is getting about all the fighting they want now. They surely have lost a lot of men since the big battle began..." In his twelfth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated April 7, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he is at Dutch Gap near the Appomattox Court House Civil War battlefield [see Lester Scott's description in episode 42: https://bit.ly/2GLK5Qa], training at the firing range. This would have been about 53 years to the day since the Civil War battle of April 8-9, 1865. He is having a "dandy time" living in a tent. They've brought about 300 horses and mules with them. He says Les is there with him and "looking good." They are being kept away from newly arriving soldiers to prevent yet another round of contagious diseases [like the mumps and measles that afflicted Les]. Dutch thinks it will be at least six months before he's sent to France. He describes the trenches left from the Civil War still extant at Dutch Gap, as well as tombstones for Civil War officers. Dutch refers to the "big battle" during which the Germans have lost a lot of men. This is probably a reference to the 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, which began on 21 March 21, 1918. The offensive was launched as a last ditch attempt to break the Allies before the arrival of fresh troops from the United States. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his twelfth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 7, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's April 7, 1917 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-april-7-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. "The U.S. Field Artillery March," Sousa, John Philip (arranger), New York Military Band (performer), 1921, http://www.loc.gov/item/00694042/] Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"There was 2000 Negro [troops] went past this regiment this morning bound for France..." In his eleventh letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated March 20, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that it's so hot, he's switching to his "summer underwear." Dutch has a new job washing dishes at the officer's mess for $10.50 per week (plus a $3.50 tip from the officers and some "dandy eats"). Three men and a cook work to feed 13 officers. The battalion now has 33 horses and at least 75 more are expected. "It surely take lots of horses for horse artillery," he notes. Dutch would like to get to Wheeling, but has no money for railroad fares. He saw 2000 Negro troops bound for France. Dutch thinks he and Les will be sent in the summer. For African Americans like those seen by Charles Riggle, the First World War was a transformative experience. Blacks were dealing with the horrors of full-blown “Jim Crow” segregation in the American South (including Wheeling, West Virginia), and the “Great Migration” was taking place, as thousands of African Americans moved to northern cities seeking opportunity. President Wilson’s pledge to “make the world safe for democracy” gave many African Americans hope that the war would also increase freedom and equality for them at home. Others decried the hypocrisy of asking people who were not treated as equals in their own country to fight for democracy overseas. In reality, the men Riggle saw at Camp Lee were likely part of segregated service battalions (probably the 510th and 511th Engineer Service Battalions) who were expected to do manual labor, such as ditch digging and burial of war dead, or, as Riggle noted in an earlier letter, to provide entertainment as musicians or singers. More than 200,000 African American soldiers were eventually sent to France. Those who did see combat were often assigned to French command and were treated with greater respect by the French. Many served with distinction, especially members of the 92nd Division and the 93rd Division’s 369th Infantry Regiment from New York, nicknamed the “Harlem Hellfighters.” Unfortunately, the hoped-for improvement in race relations at home, out of respect for honorable service, did not happen. The achievements of African American soldiers were largely ignored or diminished for decades. But the WWI experiences of African Americans, both military and civilian, had also proved empowering and eyeopening, and many were inspired and emboldened to fight for racial justice. Elsewhere on March 20, 1918, German attacks were repulsed near Verdun and in Lorraine and Mr. A. Henderson declared that Labour would not accept the peace of Brest-Litovsk. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. This is his eleventh letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, March 20, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's March 20, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-march-20-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "The Smiler," Van Eps, Fred (instrumentalist), Burckhardt, John F. (instrumentalist), Wenrich, Percy (composer) 1925, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035784/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"I want to come home either well, or if I get killed, I would just as soon be planted in France..." In his tenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated March 10, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that they are losing their captain, probably because he is being sent overseas. Just as Les Scott reported the day before (see podcast 37), Dutch believes they will keep the mules and not be motorized (with trucks). They'll be heading to the artillery range on the James River. Dutch is looking forward to it. His battery beat the rest in firing practice, shooting 5,000 yards. He has a little chat with Les almost every day. The weather is warm and "dandy," and more concrete roads are being built. Dutch thinks if the war isn't over by July, "we will go over and try the Germans a crack." He's going to send a shell home for "old Boss" [possibly his sister, Minnie Riggle] to keep as an ornament.   Elsewhere on the same day, Günther Rall, who would become a prolific fighter ace for Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe in WWII (credited with 275 wins), was born, and the British hospital ship "Guildford Castle" with 450 wounded soldiers on board, was torpedoed by a German submarine in Bristol Channel, but made it to port.   Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his tenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, March 10, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's March 10, 1918 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-march-10-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Medley of Southern airs," Fred J. Bacon, banjo, 1920, courtesy Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/item/00694032/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"I would like to be in one battle before [the war] is over any way. For all i know, I might be in several of them before it is over...." In his ninth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated February 23, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's just starting to feel like he did before he left [apparently to go home for a visit]. The weather is like spring and he hasn't drilled a bit since returning. Les [our second letter writer] is out of the hospital and doing well. The two are planning to go to the show in Lakemont. Les thinks going home isn't worth the trouble for a short visit. He heard the Captain say they wouldn't go to France before October, and Dutch thinks the war will be over before then. Dutch likes the army but prefers farm work. His first sergeant was paid $62.00 a month -- good money. He can't wait to husk corn. It only took 19 hours to get back to Petersburg [the trip would take about 7 hours by car today].   Elsewhere on the same day the socialist parties of the allied nations concluded one of several wartime Inter-Allied Socialist Conferences in London. The parties adopted a war aims resolution that included territorial goals; planned actions to prevent famine and refugees and punish war crimes; endorsement of a League of Nations; an International Legislature; and the abolition of secret treaties, diplomacy, and compulsory military service   Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his ninth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, February 23, 1918.  Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's February 23, 1918 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-february-23-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "True to the Flag March," United States Marine Band, 1922, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/00694039/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"Well Abe it look like they will haft to do something pretty soon over in Germany. The way the people is doing there, I think the war will close in 2 or 3 month..." In his eighth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated January 30, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that Les (PFC Lester Scott) is in the hospital with the mumps, like a lot of other boys in camp. He says they are practicing on the "big guns," which "do roar when they go off." Though it's raining "like the devil," Charles has never seen a nicer winter. He's impressed that camp is "fixed up dandy," complete with a cement road to hike on, electric lights everywhere, and hot and cold water in the bathhouse. He inquires about the corn husking back home. He thinks the German people are suffering, so the war will have to end soon. Charles is writing on his birthday. He is 24 years old.   In this letter, when Charles Riggle writes about the "way the people [are] doing" in Germany, he is undoubtedly referring to the food shortages suffered by the German people in the months preceding January 2018, during which a quarter of a million people had starved to death. Also as of the end of January, more than four million workers were striking in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Kiel, Cologne, and Hamburg. The German government's reaction was swift and harsh, even as the German military dropped 14 tons of bombs on Paris. Despite its tenacity, the Germany Charles Riggle read about in the newspapers was in bleak disarray and must have appeared on the verge of inevitable collapse.   Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his eighth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, January 30, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's January 30, 1918 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-january-30-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Castle Walk," Meacham, F. W. (composer); Dabney, [Ford] (composer); Prince's Band, 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010714/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"I say [Germany] ought to get a good whipping before it is over. If they would make peace with her now she would prepare up again. Go back in the war stronger than ever..." In his sixth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated January 2, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he is recovering from a mild case of the measles. He notes that Less [our second letter writer, Wagoner Lester Scott] is now in the hospital with the same ailment. Dutch regrets missing Christmas at home, but says they had a splendid good time and a "number one good dinner" at camp. The weather has been "powerful cold" and it's "snowing like the devil" as he writes. There are 22 prisoners in the guard house who tried to "run off" for home. Dutch again mentions the U.S. Coastal Artillery (founded in 1901 to defend America's coastline and harbors). He says the army has made him tough. He has no fear of battle. He'd like to get to France soon but doesn't think he ever actually will because the Germans are "tired of war" and talking peace [probably a reference to the peace talks at Brest-Litovsk between the Germans and the Bolsheviks (Soviet Russia) that were occurring at the time]. He thinks Germany fears American power entering the war and that "she ought to get a good whipping" lest she arm up again and continue the war. In his own way, Charles seems to anticipate the rise of the Third Reich and the Second World War. He thinks the submarine was Germany's last chance to win. He closes by noting that James is taking care of Lester's horse. Elsewhere on the same day, the British Air Ministry was established to oversee the Royal Air Force and deal with the increasing number of German Luftstreitkräfte bombing air raids (featuring Zeppelins, Gotha bombers, and other aircraft) against Great Britain. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his sixth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, January 2, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's January 2, 1918 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-january-2-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Love Will Find A Way," The Seven Black Dots (performer), 1921, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010774/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"The Coast Artillery will never go across the pond. They may never see a battle unless the Germans come across an they hant much danger of them doing that..." In his sixth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated December 23, 1917, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that his name was drawn 104th for furlough, so it will be a good while before he gets to come home -- probably February. He'd like to come home with Less [our second letter writer, Wagoner Lester Scott] but thinks that won't be possible. He says he saw in the newspaper that Bill Riggle was sent to the U.S. Coast Artillery in Georgia [established in 1901 to defend the U.S. coastline and harbors in case of attack]. He thinks that's good because he doesn't think they will be sent to France. A few cooks have been sent over. He also read that all the farmers would be sent home in the spring. Charles isn't sure he wants to go. He feels army life has done him good. He's heartier than ever. He says the expect a big dinner for Christmas in camp and a lot of stuff from the Red Cross. He says they had nine inches of snow. He asks Abe to save him some apples as they are too expensive at a nickel a piece at Camp Lee. Elsewhere, peace talks between Soviet (Bolshevik) Russia and the Central Powers had been initiated the previous day at Brest-Litovsk, a city near the Polish border in what is now Belarus. The negotiations would continue for two months and would lead to, among other things, the ceding of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) to Germany as well as the release of Russian claims in Poland, Ukraine, and Finland. The Bolsheviks were involved in a civil war for control of Russia and were willing to agree to harsh peace terms to free up resources. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his fourth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 23, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's December 23, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-december-23-1917-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: Hungarian Rag | New York Military Band (performer), 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694028/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"If one deserts in time of war the punishment is death, so I guess I will not try it..." In his thirteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes that he won't be coming home for Christmas because the Secretary of War won't allow it. Secretary Newton D. Baker issued a directive December 11 instructing divisional commanders at national army and national guard camps to restrict Christmas furloughs due to the harmful effect a general leave would have on camp discipline and the heavy burden it would throw on the railroads as reasons for the department’s action. "Most of the men in camps are far away from home," Secretary Baker reported. "It would be a great expense to those able to afford a trip home, and a discrimination against the men who could not afford the trip. Moreover, it would seriously interfere with the training of the men if any large number were permitted to go home for the Christmas holidays." [1] Lester, however, seems to think President Wilson disagrees, offering slim hope of a last-second reprieve. The weather in Virginia is cold and there are six inches of snow on the ground, which is hard for the mules. Meanwhile, Lester has been promoted to Private First Class, which surely beats being a "buck private." He's done well taking orders in the army and thinks Minnie could use some army discipline herself. If he does get to come home, he won't abuse the privilege, lest he be considered a deserter. Elsewhere on the same day, the big news was that Bolshevik controlled Russia signed an armistice with Germany (and the Central Powers) which would lead to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. This critical development effectively freed Germany to shift 44 divisions to the Western Front in preparation for a massive offensive in the spring of 1918. Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his twelfth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 15, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's December 15, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-december-15-1917-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com). Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Love Will Find A Way," The Seven Black Dots (performer), 1921. Courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010774/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"There are about 6000 Negro troops here and you never saw a lively bunch of fellows as they are. There are some dandy singers among them..." In his fifth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated December 7, 1917, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that Charles and his brother-in-law "Less" (our second letter writer, Wagoner Lester Scott), have applied for Christmas furloughs. Charles talks about hunting rabbits, fox, and raccoon and asks about the corn, potato, and apple crops back home. He still thinks he won't have to go to France because the Germans are "getting the fur knocked out of them," and "bound to get licked," especially since the submarines (aka "U-boats") aren't doing much now. He says he's been "hungry" for his snuff and was happy to get some from home. Importantly, he notes the arrival of 6,000 Negro troops raising the company's number to 40,000. Charles is impressed by the spectacle of thousands of uniformed troops marching past Secretary of War [Newton D.] Baker, who was visiting the camp. For African Americans like those seen by Charles Riggle, the First World War was a transformative experience. Blacks were dealing with the horrors of full-blown "Jim Crow" segregation in the American South (including Wheeling, West Virginia), and the "Great Migration" was taking place, as thousands of African Americans moved to northern cities seeking opportunity. President Wilson's pledge to "make the world safe for democracy" gave many African Americans hope that the war would also increase freedom and equality for them at home. Others decried the hypocrisy of asking people who were not treated as equals in their own country to fight for democracy overseas. More than 200,000 African American soldiers were eventually sent to France. Those who did see combat were often assigned to French command and were treated with greater respect by the French. Many served with distinction, especially members of the 92nd Division and the 93rd Division's 369th Infantry Regiment from New York, nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters." Unfortunately, the hoped-for improvement in race relations at home, out of respect for honorable service, did not happen. The achievements of African American soldiers were largely ignored or diminished for decades. But the WWI experiences of African Americans, both military and civilian, had also proved empowering and eyeopening, and many were inspired and emboldened to fight for racial justice. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. This is his fourth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 7, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's December 7, 1917 letter can be viewed at: www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-december-7-1917-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Porcupine Rag," Johnson, Chas. J. (composer), New York Military Band, 1915, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035782/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"Guarding is the only thing i don't like in the army. I tell you a fellow get lonesome tramping the post." In his fourth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated November 24, 1917, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, about how several infantry men (including a Wheeling friend named Walter Toland) were moved to a new barracks, giving Dutch and brother-in-law Lester Scott (our other letter writing soldier) more room. Dutch notes that it has snowed and is cold for the first time since he's been in Virginia. He talks about his disdain for guarding a barn full of mules (Lester was a mule driver), a lonely duty. Dutch seems to prefer washing dishes and peeling potatoes on KP (kitchen patrol). He reminisces about fox and raccoon hunting and speculates about whether he'll be home for the holidays before crossing the "pond" to France. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his fourth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 24, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's November 24, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-24-1917-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Bugle Call Rag," Metropolitan Military Band, 1915, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035785/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

For content, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle’s third letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated November 2, 1917, is one of the best in this series. In it, he tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, about how training camp has made him bigger and stronger and how it has changed their brother-in-law Lester into a “brute of a man.” Dutch expresses his concerns about having to go to France now that the "Germans are going after the Italians." Interestingly, Dutch comments on the 7,000 black soldiers that have recently arrived in camp. Some of them are singers. Dutch has been shoeing mules (brother-in-law Lester is a mule driver) to drive the guns, but Dutch fears the mules will be replaced by motors, which “won’t take much shoeing.” Dutch talks about training (plenty of foot work but not much gun training) and guard duty, and thinks the field artillery to be “the safest place a soldier can get in the army.” Both Dutch and Lester served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division. The infantry and machine guns would be ahead of him on the battlefield, providing some cushion. Dutch says there are three field artillery regiments with six companies in each. He ends by turning to subjects back home, including his hounds, his brother’s potato crop, and coming home for Christmas. Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his third letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 2, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's November 2, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-2-1917-charles-riggle-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Castle Walk," Meacham, F. W. (composer); Dabney, [Ford] (composer); Prince's Band, 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010714/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

In his second letter home, dated October 20, 1917, PFC Charles "Dutch" Riggle tells his brother James about the drilling at Camp Lee, how farming suits him better than Army life, how he misses the sounds of the fox hunts, and how everything is overpriced at camp. Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home, October 20, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's October 20, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-october-20-1917-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: True to the Flag March | United States Marine Band, 1922, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694039/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home, September 29, 1917. Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's September 29, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-september-29-1917-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com). Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: Castle's half and half | James Reese(composer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010715/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.

"As starkly moving as taps at dusk" says the Washington Post about Beyond Glory, a powerful tribute to military valor written and performed by stage and screen star Stephen Lang (Colonel Quaritch in Avatar). This piece features Stephen Lang portraying Private First Class, 1st Marine Division, Hector Cafferata, Korea, based on his own words. It is a portrait from Stephen Lang's one-man show, Beyond Glory, based on the book by Larry Smith of the same title. Stay tuned for a conversation between Mr. Lang and Playing on Air's producer and host, Claudia Catania.  Playing on Air is a public radio show and podcast featuring great American short plays with great American actors. We distribute audio productions of contemporary short plays, translating stage works into enduring modern radio theater. We aim to redefine radio drama for today's digital, mobile audience.

When you're drafted into the military, you have a chance of being on the front lines. When you're on the front lines, there's a greater chance you're going to die. If you cheat death, you're lucky. Retired Brigadier General Ted Spaulding met these odds in the Philippines during World War II. He, unlike the thousands who perished there, made it back home. Chuck Anderson got to speak with him about his survival of the Bataan Death March. It all started when a young Ted Spaulding became a Private First Class. The U.S. draft law was still in effect, but expected to expire later in the year due to America's general disinterest in joining World War II. Ted joined a battalion of National Guardsmen, which was short 15 lieutenants. He was chosen as a candidate for 2nd lieutenant and within ten days had the rank of a commissioned officer. In less than a year, Ted Spaulding had gone from being a low-ranking draftee to an officer leading a tank battalion across the Pacific - ready to defend the

Private First Class Joe Reilly discuses his service during WWII.

We say hello to the Real Ben Begley, a fan of the podcast. He says hello back....We wrestle with the shortcomings of Skype and in mud, jelly and baked beans..... And infrequently discuss the Ben Begley in IMDB.... Meet the bus driver who rivals Alan Turing (if Alan Turing had ever been a bus driver).His Blog about having 80 jobs in 35 years is here belowhttp://80jobs.blogspot.com.au/All The JobsAll 80 Jobs in Chronological Order (years are approximate) and location (names of some locations changed for confidentiality)19751. Chicken abuser, chicken ranch, O-Town (California)2. Weed puller, car dealership, O-Town19773. Moving a bookcase upstairs, law office, O-Town4. Moving stuff around, Montgomery Ward's, O-Town19785. Busboy, Yancy Derringer's, Juneau (Alaska)6. General laborer, building a back office, Juneau7. Dishwasher, Sally's Kitchen, Juneau19798. Working for my dad, West Sacramento (California)9. Jack in the Box, O-Town10. Community service, fish hatchery, O-Town11. Cleaning out old man's garage, O-Town12. Landscape maintenance, golf course, O-Town198013. Personal attendant, Sandy and Al, O-Town14. Sales associate, Home Improvement Store, Santa Barbara (California)15. Yard work, Al's old-lady friend, O-Town16. General labor, Sweem's Air-conditioning, O-Town17. Dishwasher, Joe's BBQ, College Town (California)18. Car Wash, College Town19. Cleaning out underneath a house, O-Town20. Janitor, 1st Congregational Church, O-Town198121. Picking and packing, Kiwi farm, College Town22. Unknown yard maintenance company, College Town23. Personal care, man with stroke, tiny town south of College Town24. Delivering coupon books (Karmann Ghia), College Town25. Bagging ground nut shells, nut company, College Town198226. Cleaning up warehouse near university, College Town27. Yard clean-up, day care center, College Town28. Janitor, dormitory, College Town198329. Janitor, stationery store, College Town30. Personal care, Good-Time Charlie's employer with MS, College Town31. Butt College work study, recycling center, Butt County (California)32. Butt College work study, moving rocks, Butt County198433. Dishwasher, (name withheld) bar/restaurant, College Town34. Bus driver, bankrupt contractor for transit authority, College Town198535. Yard/work site clean-up with Steve W., College Town36. Delivering coupon books (van), College Town37. Dishwasher, convalescent hospital, Seattle (Washington)38. Sales clerk, little bookstore, Seattle39. Setting up new B. Dalton's bookstore, Seattle40. Assembly, musical instrument case factory, Seattle41. Distributing door hangers, Seattle42. Unloading blueberries, Seattle43. Selling flowers on street corners, Seattle44. Driving in training, taxi company, Seattle198645. Private First Class, United States Army, Georgia/South Carolina46. Telemarketing, Seattle47. Assistant landscaper, Skip C., O-Town198748. Office Manager, Homeless-Mentally Ill Program, O-Town1987 – 198849. Clerk-Typist, Butt County Children's Services, O-Town198950. Self-employed gardener, O-Town51. Assistant landscaper, Kent R., O-Town199052. Line work, cannery, O-Town53. Program Assistant, United States Dept. of Agriculture, O-Town1991 – 199254. Program Assistant, United States Dept. of Agriculture, O-Town (again)1993 – 199555. Paratransit driver, predecessor of present company, O-Town56. Appliance delivery, Sears Hometown Store, O-Town1995 – 199657. Paratransit/bus driver, predecessor of present company (again), O-Town199658. Community service, Butt County mail room, O-Town199759. Driver, long haul trucking company, Modesto (California)60. Driver, unknown milk hauling company, Willows (California)61. Driver, long haul trucking company, Modesto (again)1997-199862. Driver, cab company, O-Town199863. Cement work for Becky R.'s step-dad, O-Town64. General labor, crop dusting company, another small town south of College Town1998 – 199965. Pizza cook/deliverer, O-Town (one of my favorite jobs)1999-200166. Instructional assistant, Butt College geography department, Butte County67. Geography tutor, Butt College, Butte County200268. Cashier, casino, O-Town69. GIS Technician, consulting company, College Town70. Clerk, 7-11 Store, O-Town71. Truck crew, Walmart, O-Town2002 – 200372. Temp at packaging company, O-Town (not a bad place to work, at least for a little while)2003 – 200573. Driver, Mortuary transportation company, O-Town (very interesting job)74. Funeral director, O-Town (also very interesting)200575. Driver in training, another long-haul trucking company, southern California2005 – 200676. Pole inspection foreman, Osmosis, California/Nevada (shudder, shudder, SHUDDER)2006 – 200977. Vendor, Home Depot, various stores, mostly in Butt County (probably my all-time favorite)201078. Intern, Geospatial Workforce Training Program, O-Town/College Town79. Pole inspector, different pole inspection company, northern California (shudder)2010 – PRESENT80. Bus driver, Butt County

We say hello to the Real Ben Begley, a fan of the podcast. He says hello back....We wrestle with the shortcomings of Skype and in mud, jelly and baked beans..... And infrequently discuss the Ben Begley in IMDB.... Meet the bus driver who rivals Alan Turing (if Alan Turing had ever been a bus driver).His Blog about having 80 jobs in 35 years is here belowhttp://80jobs.blogspot.com.au/All The JobsAll 80 Jobs in Chronological Order (years are approximate) and location (names of some locations changed for confidentiality)19751. Chicken abuser, chicken ranch, O-Town (California)2. Weed puller, car dealership, O-Town19773. Moving a bookcase upstairs, law office, O-Town4. Moving stuff around, Montgomery Ward's, O-Town19785. Busboy, Yancy Derringer's, Juneau (Alaska)6. General laborer, building a back office, Juneau7. Dishwasher, Sally's Kitchen, Juneau19798. Working for my dad, West Sacramento (California)9. Jack in the Box, O-Town10. Community service, fish hatchery, O-Town11. Cleaning out old man's garage, O-Town12. Landscape maintenance, golf course, O-Town198013. Personal attendant, Sandy and Al, O-Town14. Sales associate, Home Improvement Store, Santa Barbara (California)15. Yard work, Al's old-lady friend, O-Town16. General labor, Sweem's Air-conditioning, O-Town17. Dishwasher, Joe's BBQ, College Town (California)18. Car Wash, College Town19. Cleaning out underneath a house, O-Town20. Janitor, 1st Congregational Church, O-Town198121. Picking and packing, Kiwi farm, College Town22. Unknown yard maintenance company, College Town23. Personal care, man with stroke, tiny town south of College Town24. Delivering coupon books (Karmann Ghia), College Town25. Bagging ground nut shells, nut company, College Town198226. Cleaning up warehouse near university, College Town27. Yard clean-up, day care center, College Town28. Janitor, dormitory, College Town198329. Janitor, stationery store, College Town30. Personal care, Good-Time Charlie's employer with MS, College Town31. Butt College work study, recycling center, Butt County (California)32. Butt College work study, moving rocks, Butt County198433. Dishwasher, (name withheld) bar/restaurant, College Town34. Bus driver, bankrupt contractor for transit authority, College Town198535. Yard/work site clean-up with Steve W., College Town36. Delivering coupon books (van), College Town37. Dishwasher, convalescent hospital, Seattle (Washington)38. Sales clerk, little bookstore, Seattle39. Setting up new B. Dalton's bookstore, Seattle40. Assembly, musical instrument case factory, Seattle41. Distributing door hangers, Seattle42. Unloading blueberries, Seattle43. Selling flowers on street corners, Seattle44. Driving in training, taxi company, Seattle198645. Private First Class, United States Army, Georgia/South Carolina46. Telemarketing, Seattle47. Assistant landscaper, Skip C., O-Town198748. Office Manager, Homeless-Mentally Ill Program, O-Town1987 – 198849. Clerk-Typist, Butt County Children's Services, O-Town198950. Self-employed gardener, O-Town51. Assistant landscaper, Kent R., O-Town199052. Line work, cannery, O-Town53. Program Assistant, United States Dept. of Agriculture, O-Town1991 – 199254. Program Assistant, United States Dept. of Agriculture, O-Town (again)1993 – 199555. Paratransit driver, predecessor of present company, O-Town56. Appliance delivery, Sears Hometown Store, O-Town1995 – 199657. Paratransit/bus driver, predecessor of present company (again), O-Town199658. Community service, Butt County mail room, O-Town199759. Driver, long haul trucking company, Modesto (California)60. Driver, unknown milk hauling company, Willows (California)61. Driver, long haul trucking company, Modesto (again)1997-199862. Driver, cab company, O-Town199863. Cement work for Becky R.'s step-dad, O-Town64. General labor, crop dusting company, another small town south of College Town1998 – 199965. Pizza cook/deliverer, O-Town (one of my favorite jobs)1999-200166. Instructional assistant, Butt College geography department, Butte County67. Geography tutor, Butt College, Butte County200268. Cashier, casino, O-Town69. GIS Technician, consulting company, College Town70. Clerk, 7-11 Store, O-Town71. Truck crew, Walmart, O-Town2002 – 200372. Temp at packaging company, O-Town (not a bad place to work, at least for a little while)2003 – 200573. Driver, Mortuary transportation company, O-Town (very interesting job)74. Funeral director, O-Town (also very interesting)200575. Driver in training, another long-haul trucking company, southern California2005 – 200676. Pole inspection foreman, Osmosis, California/Nevada (shudder, shudder, SHUDDER)2006 – 200977. Vendor, Home Depot, various stores, mostly in Butt County (probably my all-time favorite)201078. Intern, Geospatial Workforce Training Program, O-Town/College Town79. Pole inspector, different pole inspection company, northern California (shudder)2010 – PRESENT80. Bus driver, Butt County

Take Action Get Profits with Michele Scism and her guest Dr. Donna Thomas Rodgers & Angela Sloan: Dr. Donna Thomas Rodgers has over 20 years of leadership experience. Dr. Donna has served as a Private-First-Class to a Commissioned Officer in the military. After performing her military duties Dr. Donna worked her way up the ranks to C-level suites. Those experiences have allowed her to strategically solve problems at all levels in an organization. As a Commissioned Military Police Officer she managed millions of dollars of assets and equipment and led over 2,500 soldiers without any casualties. After transitioning to a management role at Frito-Lay Dr. Donna continued to perform at a high level. She personally supervised over 500 employees, managed 20 million dollars in company assets, and trained corporate team members at the national level in safety, continuous improvement and performance-based training. For 30 years Angela Sloan, CEO and founder of Sloan Financial Group, has dedicated herself to helping her clients secure their financial affairs. Unfortunately at a young age, she was swindled out of her life savings by her “trusted” advisor. This misfortune motivated Angela to make it her life's work to keep bad things from happening to good people. Angela's list of accomplishments include earning the Pioneer Service Excellence Award, the AMS Inventor of the Year Award, winning the Richard M. Metcalfe Memorial Award as well as sitting on the York Technical College Entrepreneur Panel and guest speaker appearances for Clemson University's Professional Development for Women Conferences held throughout the United States. She has been featured in Financial Advisor Magazine, Greater Charlotte Biz Magazine, and ProActive Advisor Magazine.

Legal Eagle and the Coach Radio with David Altenbern & Bryan Kiser with their guest Dr. Bob Weil & Dr Donna Thomas-Rodgers: Dr. Robert Weil, D.P.M. specializing in podiatric medicine, orthotics and sports medicine.  I've written a column for the Naperville Sun and Aurora Beacon since 2007 as "The Sports Doctor".  My goal is to provide sports medicine information to athletes, their families, coaches and all readers. http://sportsdoctorradio.com/ Dr. Donna Thomas Rodgers has over 20 years of leadership experience. Dr. Donna has served as a Private-First-Class to a Commissioned Officer in the military. After performing her military duties Dr. Donna worked her way up the ranks to C-level suites. Those experiences have allowed her to strategically solve problems at all levels in an organization. As a Commissioned Military Police Officer she managed millions of dollars of assets and equipment and led over 2,500 soldiers without any casualties. After transitioning to a management role at Frito-Lay Dr. Donna continued to perform at a high level. She personally supervised over 500 employees, managed 20 million dollars in company assets, and trained corporate team members at the national level in safety, continuous improvement and performance-based training. answersareus.com

Selling in a Skirt with Judy Hoberman Radio with her guest Dr. Donna Thomas Rodgers & Julie Anne Eason: Dr. Donna Thomas Rodgers has over 20 years of leadership experience. Dr. Donna has served as a Private-First-Class to a Commissioned Officer in the military. After performing her military duties Dr. Donna worked her way up the ranks to C-level suites. Those experiences have allowed her to strategically solve problems at all levels in an organization. As a Commissioned Military Police Officer she managed millions of dollars of assets and equipment and led over 2,500 soldiers without any casualties. After transitioning to a management role at Frito-Lay Dr. Donna continued to perform at a high level. She personally supervised over 500 employees, managed 20 million dollars in company assets, and trained corporate team members at the national level in safety, continuous improvement and performance-based training. Julie Anne Eason has been a professional writer for over 20 years. After figuring out that fiction writing wasn't for her, she turned to freelance journalism and copywriting for a living. As technology advanced, she witnessed the balance of power in the publishing industry shift. Once the big New York publishers held all the cards. Writers were “lucky” if they could land an agent or a book contract. But now individuals are taking the initiative and writing, publishing, and marketing their own books without the need for an agent or publisher to give them a chance — which means that finally businesses, non-profits, and entrepreneurs can take advantage of the amazing power of books. Today she ghostwrites full-length books for entrepreneurs, speakers, coaches, CEOs, and other business people who want to expand their reach and build their brands.

Wondering how to get your kids and grandkids engaged in family history? Looking for worthwhile activities for the kids over the Christmas break? In this episode author Janet Hovorka provides answers. Our children are the future of our families, and there's no better time to help them engage, explore and enjoy their family history!  App Users: Be sure to check out the audio Bonus Content in the Genealogy Gems App! NEWS: of the 1 year digital subscription to Family Tree Magazine. Amanda's Blog: Read about Where You Can Find Over a that are Now Indexed!    MAILBOX: From Gary: “There was a recent episode of the Las Vegas Based  “CSI” show in which a genealogist was used  to help solve a crime and the head CSI guy (Ted Dansen) and the Genealogist debated about Genealogy being a science.  Only took them 1 hr  (and 30 commercials) to do what takes us a live time –Hummmmmm!!!” Premium member Roger in Utah: “Thanks for another great podcast – this time on MY ancestral homeland of Norway.  I have spent many hours using the   website.    While you can use the English version, parts of it are only in Norwegian. Norway, like most Scandinavian countries, has put nearly all of their parish records online.  It is a wonderful resource. You have to learn what some of words are, such as birth, Christening, confirmation, marriage, death, etc. But even just these can help a lot. If you learn a few more Norwegian words, you can more fully access the vast amount on information available on that site.  In that podcast you also talked about taking a risk and contacting someone about possible family information. Through some of my Norwegian research I found a man who lives in a little town about an hour north of Oslo. He is the leader of a group called the Hadelandlag Society. Hadeland is a region of Norway. I got an email address for this man, Ole, and contacted him. He has been wonderful to me.  He went to a local repository and looked up information on my family from the information I gave him. Of course, I thanked him profusely for helping someone he did not even know. We have now emailed several times. Certainly the “risk” paid off. I have also found some US chapters of the Hadelandlag Society and have become a member.   And I found some distant cousins as a result,  one in Canada, and one in Minnesota. We email somewhat regularly. See what taking the “risk” can do.” Matt Has a Mystery and is Looking for Extra Sets of Eyes: “Thank you for your podcasts! … even listening to the older podcasts can provide needed perspective on how to break through your brick walls. Speaking of brick walls, mine may be crumbling. I've been trying to trace the parents/ancestors of my great-grandmother. Up until this past summer, I had no information whatsoever. On May 30, 2013, I found an 1855 New York State Census entry that may tell me who her family is. I wrote up a about the current status of the search and I'd be interested in your thoughts.”  From Alan in Minneapolis, MN: “I started listening to the podcast about a year ago, and it's been a great reminder of things that I had forgotten how to use Google for.  Thanks to your hints, I've found descendants for 2 of my wife's great-great uncles who moved away from the farm in Illinois and we lost track of. The Google tips from early on in the series have even helped in projects at work- my colleagues think I'm spending hours searching for things that I'm finding in a couple minutes with some of the tricks. Also after hearing about blogging your family history for at least the last 3 pod casts,  I've finally decided to take the leap and start publishing my discoveries on a blog () so I can post there rather than send emails and miss some of the cousins or send Facebook messages and miss the others.  I've only written two posts (one's up one set to publish Sunday morning), but I hope this is something I can keep up. Just a note to say thanks.” Janice in Montreal started a genealogy blog: “I attended several of your presentations at the BIFHSGO conference a few weeks ago and really enjoyed them. Partly as a result of hearing your advice, I have started a blog on which I'm posting the short family history articles I've been writing, as well as comments on the research process. The story called "An Economic Emigrant" explains why I'm a Canadian rather than an American. Please take a quick look when you get a chance.” . Ethan is looking for some Fold3 help: “I recently went to look for the graves of my great-grandparents and learned in doing so that their son, my grandpa's brother, died in WWII.  Since he has a very common name, George L. Allen, I have been unsuccessful in trying to look up his records on or other search engines.  Any hints on how to narrow my search?  This is the information I was able to obtain just from his headstone: Private First Class, 63rd armored infantry battalion, 11th armored division.  He died Jan 6, 1945, just as the war was dying down.  Other than that, I don't know if he was in the Pacific or in Europe.  My search yields thousands of results.  Any help would be appreciated!” Lisa's Answer: Fold3.com does have some educational videos on YouTube. In particular: . If you don't get the full answer you are looking for, leave a comment on the video to ask a more specific question or ask how to contact them with your question. YouTube is interactive when it comes to comments and I would anticipate they would respond. Family Tree Magazine Webinar Recording:   GEM: Helping Your Kids and Grandkids Engage in Family History with Janet Hovorka Janet is the author of the book Zap the Grandma Gap Available Workbooks:    Above: Janet Hovorka, Owner of FamilyChartmasters  Visit the free Website for more CLOSING: Sign up for the FREE Genealogy Gems Newsletter at Explore Lisa's brand new Pinterest Board:  

Lawrence Littel was drafted into the Army (160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division) during World War II , given eight weeks of heavy training as a rifleman, and sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Lawrence Littel was drafted into the Army (160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division) during World War II , given eight weeks of heavy training as a rifleman, and sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Lawrence Littel was drafted into the Army (160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division) during World War II , given eight weeks of heavy training as a rifleman, and sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations.