“I see Wayne occasionally glimpse through my soul and sometimes it breaks my heart” … Diane Woods Blansett Her Southern accent came clearly across the airwaves to me, just as certain as my Rhode Island “drop the r’s” did to her, I am sure, for Diane Woods Blansett is from Cleveland, Mississippi, a farming and semi-industrial community […]
Recently Kentucky Air Force Col. Mark E. Baran retired from the United States Air Force. He’d worn a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) wristband for 18 years, etched with the name of my brother-in-law, Col. Fredrick Mellor, a POW and Rhode Island’s first casualty of the Viet Nam war. My account about Fred being shot […]
“Essential Worker” We’re indispensable The necessary cog In a smooth-functioning machine Known as “the Caretaker Army” Our constant care Of loved ones Enables others To live care-lessly. We get no pay…no help Tho’ hours are long No days off Or vacation time. 16 million Americans? Provide 20 billion hours Of volunteer work each year To […]
I Write of Heroes You might Not Know I’ve always been impressed with the folks who accomplish wonderful things, mostly out of the public view. As such, I determined to give these heroes a spotlight. My mission started years ago when I began writing about my career as Teacher–relating the funny, touching episodes, as well […]
Col. Mark E. Baran is retiring from the Air Force in August, and wanted to offer his POW/MIA bracelet, since he’d read my account of Lt. Col. Fredric Moore Mellor, Rhode Island’s first Missing in Action, that appeared in The Providence Journal on May 28, 2018. He emailed me recently. Apologized if his contact was […]