New Jersey WW2 Book Club

March 2012 Newsletter

2012-02-26T19:53:00.005-05:00

February 26, 2012 Vol # 2 No. 14
Next meeting: Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Our next lecturer will be Andrew Nagorski who will discuss his newest book, just published, Hitlerland, American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power. John McLaughlin met Andrew at the Hoover Institution 3 years ago when Andrew was doing research for his book. At the time John was completing his research for the Wedemeyer biography and some of the research overlapped.

Hitlerland is the story of Americans who happened to be in Berlin during the fateful years of the Nazi buildup of power that led to the Second World War.

Some of the Americans in Weimar and then Hitler's Germany were merely casual observers, others deliberately blind; a few were Nazi apologists. But most slowly began to understand the horror of what was unfolding, even when they found it difficult to grasp the breadth of the catastrophe.

Among the journalists, William Shirer, Edgar Mowrer, and Dorothy Thompson were increasingly alarmed. Counsel General George Messersmith stood out among the American diplomats because of his passion and courage. Truman Smith, the first American to meet Hitler, was an astute political observer and a resourceful military attache.

Observing Hitler up close, the most perceptive of the Americans helped their reluctant countrymen begin to understand the nature of Nazi Germany as it ruthlessly eliminated all the political opponents, instilled hatred of Jews and anyone deemed a member of an inferior race.
Nagorski was the first lecturer at the start of the Book Club three years ago and drew a large audience. Don't miss this exciting lecture.

Carol Schultz Vento
Ms. Vento's lecture February 21 about her book The Hidden Legacy of World War II generated a good deal of interest. We had about 65 people in attendance.

Future Programs
On April 17 Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced, when among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished.

On Tuesday, May 15, 2012 we will have a lecture by Dr. Josh Botts of the State Department. Dr. Botts is an expert on the subject of Yalta the most important Allied Conference of World War II.
John McLaughlin's biography of General Wedemeyer, will be available at the book stores in April 2012.

More of Carol Schultz Vento

2012-02-22T08:03:00.004-05:00

Last night's Book Club meeting with Carol Schultz Vento was thought provoking and elicited many questions from the audience, to which, as Dr. Vento herself admitted, there weren't as yet complete answers.

For more information about her book, as well as a video, click here.
For more information about the Daughters of D-Day, click here.

Thanks to Sharon Austin for providing the Web sites.

February 2012 Newsletter

2012-01-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

January 25, 2012, Volume 2, # 13
Next Lecture: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Our next guest lecturer will be Carol Schultz Vento who will discuss her award winning book The Hidden Legacy of World War II. Ms Vento is the daughter of Arthur "Dutch" Schultz, the tough cigar chomping Sergeant featured in the 1962 film "The Longest Day," based on the prize winning 1959 history book, The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan.

The "hidden legacy," a subject more and more in the headlines lately, is the pernicious Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) which can destroy the life of not only the veteran but his family. Carol witnessed the struggle her father endured and the impact it had on his marriage and on herself. Anger, alcoholism, rage, were only some of the manifestations of her father's condition. Carol relates in her story the searing pain endured by the family, and her father's slow recovery.

The book describes the seldom told story of how the war trauma impacted one family. Carol's book will be offered for sale at $14.95, and she will autograph all copies.

Steve Karger's Lecture
The lecture on Himmler's Doctor generated a lot of interest. For anyone interested in seeing the entire CD that was presented, it can be viewed in its entirety on Youtube.

Future Programs
On March 20, Andrew Nagorski will make a repeat appearance. Andrew was the first guest lecturer three years ago and drew a large audience when he discussed his book, The Greatest Battle. This time Andrew will talk about his new book Hitlerland, American Eyewitness to the Nazi Rise to Power. General Wedemeyer is among the many Americans he writes about during this period of the Nazi rise to power.

On April 17, Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced when, among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished.

Dues for 2012
Membership dues for the year 2012 are now payable. A Single membership is $25.00 and a family membership is $30.00. Make checks payable to World War II Book Club and mail to John McLaughlin at address on this News Letter.

Book Discussion
Unbroken, the New York Times Best Seller, will be the topic of a Book Discussion at the Millburn Public Library on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:30. John McLaughlin will lead the discussion. All are welcome.

Carol Vento at February 21 Meeting

2012-01-27T14:37:00.001-05:00

Carol Vento will talk about her book, The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter's Journey. She tells the story of her famous paratrooper father Dutch Schultz, famously portrayed in the movie "The Longest Day".

Kersten Film on Youtube

2012-01-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

Last night's presentation by Steve Karger of a film about Felix Kersten was fascinating and thought-provoking, judging by the amount of questions from the audience. Many from the audience asked about the availability of the film and, with thanks to Sharon Austin, here is the link to the Youtube video.

January 2012 Newsletter

2012-01-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

Next Lecture: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 7 PM Steve Karger, a history teacher in the public schools of Irvington will present a lecture on the book, The Devil's Doctor, written by John H Waller. The story is about Dr. Felix Kersten, who treated the notorious Heinrich Himmler. Himmler was chief of the German police, Minister of the Interior, and head of the Gestapo during the Nazi reign of terror in Germany. From 1939-1945, Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.

Steve Karger's lecture draws on Waller's book and relates the remarkable story of the relationship of Himmler, and his close advisor, Dr. Felix Kersten, and how Kersten, at great risk to his own life and that of his family, persuaded Himmler to free thousands of Jews from the Concentration Camps where they were consigned to death. Himmler, like many of the leaders of the Nazis, profoundly sick in mind and soul, was wracked with physical as well as mental and spiritual disorders. In Himmler's case he suffered excruciating stomach pains which, if untreated, threatened to end his career. Himmler heard of Dr. Kersten's "magic hands" which could relieve his pain by their remarkably effective massages. Himmler forced Kersten into service as his personal physician and medical advisor and throughout the entire war compelled Dr. Kersten to be at his side constantly to relieve his chronic pain. Kersten, while administering to Himmler was able to convince Himmler to aid large numbers of Jews.

What is in intriguing is the interesting story of how our lecturer, Steve Karger, comes to be involved in this narrative. It appears that Karger's great uncle Norbert Masur, a prominent official in the World Jewish Congress, managed in the early days of 1944 to make contact with Dr. Kersten and persuaded him to introduce him to Himmler. At enormous risk he entered Germany to meet with Himmler. The plan was twofold: [1] to give Himmler, who was well aware of how the war was soon to end, a way to, perhaps, save himself, and [2] more importantly, induce Himmler to save the lives of countless Jews who would otherwise have surely gone to their death in one of the many Concentration Camps. The plan was remarkably effective, but little was known of it until recent years.In 2003 Emanuel Amara, a French film maker decided to produce a documentary about Dr. Kersten. Masur, of course, would play a prominent role in the film. In the process of making the documentary, Amara learned that Steve Karger had been lecturing about his famous great uncle at Brookdale College and was related to Masur, and Masur invited Karger to Germany to participate in the documentary. Steve Karger possesses one of the few copies of the documentary and it will be shown during the lecture.
Don't miss this exciting lecture.

Future Programs

February 21: Carol Vento will talk about her book, The Hidden Legacy of World War II: A Daughter's Journey. She tells the story of her famous paratrooper father Dutch Schultz, famously portrayed in the movie "The Longest Day".

March 20: Andrew Nagorski, the first speaker at the commencement of the Book Cub almost 3 years ago will give a lecture on his most recent book titled Hitlerland, American Eyewitness to the Nazi Rise to Power. General Wedemeyer is among the many Americans he writes about during this critical period of the Nazi era.

April 17: Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced, when among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished. Dr. Levinson, along with other army doctors, ministered to many of the survivors, and the experience profoundly affected his life. The memory was so terrible that he largely suppressed it. His family knew little of the story until Ms. Levinson, after her father's death, came upon a trunk of her father's containing many photos and other documentation relating to the horror. She knew she had to tell the story. By speaking to many other veterans who had liberated Concentration Camps she has constructed a compelling story of how the experience affected the lives of those who liberated these camps. Most importantly she tells us that this is a story that must be told.

The books by Carol Vento and Leila Levinson bring to mind other books which focus on the impact of war on veterans and how it relates to their life after their discharge. Anyone interested in this subject is referred to two other recent books. The first is What It Is Like To Go To War by Carl Marlantes. The second is War by Sebastian Junger. Each of these books gives insight into the real truths of combat: the fear, the honor, and the trust of the men which is the single most important ingredient in explaining how these men survive the stress of combat. Most important is how these two authors described the stress of re- entry into civilian life after combat.

Andrew Roberts, the author of Masters And Commanders, a multiple award-winning book has just written a new and fascinating one volume history of World War II, The Storm of War, which has also received critical reviews. Andrew has agreed to come to the Book Cub and discuss his new book, and we are working on a date sometime in the spring or fall of 2012. We will keep you posted on this event.

View Previous Lectures on the Web
Links to speaker videos are on the right.

Dues for 2012
Membership dues for the year 2012 are now payable. A Single membership is $25.00 and a family membership is $30.00. Make checks payable to World War II Book Club and mail to John McLaughlin at address on this News Letter.

Book Discussion
Unbroken, the New York Times Best Seller will be the topic of a Book Discussion at the Millburn Public Library Monday February 6, 2012 at 12:30. John McLaughlin will lead the discussion. All are welcome.

January Lecture: "The Devil's Doctor"

2012-01-01T11:13:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Steve Karger, a history teacher in the Public Schools of Irvington will present a lecture about the notorious Heinrich Himmler, Chief of the German Police, Minister of the Interior, and head of the Gestapo during the Nazi reign in Germany. From 1939-1945, Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.

Karger's lecture relates the amazing story about Himmler and his doctor Felix Kersten, and how Kersten, at great risk to his own life and that of his family, persuaded Himmler to free thousands of Jews from the Concentration Camps where they were consigned to death. As Himmler's personal physician, Kersten found himself in a unique position from which he could gather information which could be passed on to the U.S. Office of Strategic Service (OSS). Kersten saved the lives of more than 60,000 Jews in concentration camps by persuading Himmler to disobey Hitler's direct order to kill them all.

Recently, both a film and a book have recounted the story of Himmler and Kersten. Steven Karger will draw from John Waller's book, The Devil's Doctor, to include the fascinating details of how he became involved with both the film and the book through a personal family connection.

Norwich University Tribute

2011-12-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

McLaughlin Book on Wedemeyer

2011-12-08T06:43:00.000-05:00

Casemate Publishers has created a cover for John J. McLaughlin's book on General Albert C. Wedemeyer which shall be available in spring, 2012.

Read more about the forthcoming book.

McLaughlin Dissertation on Wedemeyer Available

2011-11-28T21:35:00.000-05:00

The dissertation "Soldier, Scholar, Statesman" by John J. McLaughlin was completed in 2008 and is now available from Amazon or Powell's. The McLaughlin dissertation has been expanded into a book-length biography of Wedemeyer, scheduled for publication in Spring 2012 by Casemate Publishers.

Photos from October Meeting

2011-10-25T19:53:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Sharon Austin for posting pictures from our October meeting on the Club's new Flickr gallery. To view the set, click here >>

November Newsletter

2011-10-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

Next Lecture: Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Blaine Pardoe, author of Lost Eagles, One Man's Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two Wars will be our next speaker. This will be one of the highlights of the season for the Book Club. Blaine weaves together the fascinating story of one man who devoted his life to developing technology and a methodology for locating the remains of missing airmen. He established the procedure, still in place today, of imprinting the serial numbers of the aircraft on every single piece of equipment used in the aircraft so the plane can be identified even when a crash scatters the parts over a wide area. The book has received many awards, the latest being recognition by the Michigan Historical Society as the best war book of the year. John McLaughlin heard Blain's presentation in New York last year and immediately booked him for our group. Don't miss this wonderful lecture.

Marilyn C. Solvay, Ph.D. Director of the Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University was our guest lecturer at our meeting October 18. She discussed the history of this proud military school, and the prominent part it has played in training some of our most important military men and women. Dr. Solvay told us about the current program of World War II studies, the history of the Sullivan Museum and the many significant programs that are sponsored there under her supervision. Dr. A. Ralph Kristeller, MD. a proud graduate of Norwich chaired the program.

Program for January 2012

We are presently in discussions with representatives of the State Department looking forward to a lecture on the February 1945 Yalta Conference, the most important, and surely the most controversial of the war, perhaps, in the history of our country. This would be a repeat of a lecture given last month at the New York Public Library. More details will be given with the next few weeks, if we are able to obtain the speakers.

Mark The Date: December 13 - Traditional Holiday Party

Our annual Holiday Party will be held again this year at Pal's Cabin, West Orange on Tuesday, December 13. Mark the date. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Webster who has been video taping all the lectures which are now available on the web. She will discuss the current state of technology in videotaping and show clips of the lectures that have been recorded this year including many pictures of our members. A fun night is guaranteed. Please support this program and show our appreciation to Nancy for the great work she is doing for our organization. The cost of the dinner will be $50.00 per person which includes all tax and gratuities. Complimentary red and white wine will be served. Mixed drinks will be a cash bar. Please send checks to John J. McLaughlin at address above.

View Previous Lectures on The Web

Just click on any of the links in the Speaker Videos section of the blog to view any of our previous lectures.

Future Programs

We are pleased to announce that arrangements are being made to have as future speakers Andrew Nagorski, and Andrew Roberts. Members might remember that Andrew Nagorski was our first guest lecturer when the Book Club started in 2009 and he attracted a crowd of 90 when he spoke about his book The Greatest Battle. He has just completed a new book Hitlerland, the story of a group of Americans in Berlin during the years 1936-1939 when the Nazis were coming to power. The book is due for publication in the spring of 2012 and we will be one of the first groups to hear him talk about this book.

Andrew Roberts, the author of Masters and Commanders, a multiple award winning book has just written a new and fascinating one volume history of World War II, The Storm of War, which has also received critical reviews. Andrew has agreed to come to the Book Club and discuss this book, and we are working on a date sometime in the spring of 2012. We will keep you posted on this event.

We recently were introduced to a new author Carol Schultz Vento who has written a book about her father "Dutch Schultz," whom members might remember as the cigar chomping Master Sergeant featured in Cornelius Ryan's block buster film, The Longest Day. He was cast as the "everyman soldier" symbolic of the citizen soldier. Ryan further followed her father's march through Europe by including him in the 1966 chronicle of the final days in Germany, in both The Last Battle, and the saga of Market Garden in his book A Bridge Too Far. We have booked Carol as a speaker for February 21.

Contributions of Our Members

Many thanks to member Sharon Austin who has assumed the role of our official photographer. She never misses a meeting and many of her pictures will be displayed at our Holiday Party on December 13. We also are fortunate to have enlisted the services of Marie Somers, Director of Web Content Systems, Walsh Library at Seton Hall University. Marie has taken over responsibility for running our World War II Web site. Take a look at it. She is doing a great job. I should tell you that this site has been responsible for putting us in touch with people all over the world. Anyone interested in taking on an active role in the Book Club is welcome. Just let us know. We will find a job for you. Hank Humphrey who proof reads the Baltusrol News recently volunteered to do the same for us, and is now checking each issue before it is sent to our members.

Name Tags

Please let us know if your name tag is correct. We have a new system, and can easily make adjustments.

-- John J. McLaughlin

Spam, M&M's, Glen Miller and P-38s

2011-10-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

There were no books at the October 18 meeting of the NJ World War II Book Club, but there were all kinds of objects, courtesy of Dr. Solvay and the Sullivan Museum and History Center of Norwich University. The objects are part of an exhibit that focused on the stories and remembrances of Norwich University students and alums who had served during World War II. And those memories included canned SPAM (which for the present generation is more nuisance than nutrition), M&Ms, those wonderful candies that melt in your mouth, NOT in your rifle-holding hand and that marvelous music and touching songs that served as love letters to both those at home and abroad. Soldiers remembered "the Army's greatest invention" - the P-38 can opener which not only opened those ubiquitous cans of Spam, but also was put to multiple inventive uses by American soldiers all over the world.

Dr. Solvay's presentation was filled with marvelous anecdotes, noting how digital recorders were sent out through the mail to facilitate the collection and preservation of memories that might soon be lost forever. Dr. Solvay also exhibited posters of Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms," which were used to sell war bonds, raising over $130,000,000!

Pictures from the meeting will soon be available on our new Flickr gallery, thanks to Sharon Ann Austin and we look forward to the posting of the video from the event, recorded by Nancy Webster.

-- Marie Somers

October Newsletter

2011-10-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Marilyn C. Solvay, Director of the Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University will discuss the history of this proud military school, and the prominent part it has played in training some of our most important military men and women. Dr. Solvay will also discuss the current program of World War II studies, the history of the Sullivan Museum and the many significant programs that are sponsored there under her supervision. Dr. A. Ralph Kristeller, MD, a proud graduate of Norwich, will chair the program.

Tuesday, November 15
Blaine Pardoe, author of of Lost Eagles, One Man's Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two Wars will discuss his award winning book. Mr. Pardoe weaves together the fascinating story of one man who devoted his life to developing technology and a methodology for locating the remains of missing airmen. He established the procedure, still in place today, of imprinting the serial numbers of the aircraft on every single piece of equipment used in the aircraft so the plane can be identified even when a crash scatters the parts over a large area.

We were just advised that the Historical Society of Michigan presented its 2011 State History Award to Blain for Lost Eagles. The State History Awards are the highest recognition presented by the state's official historical society. Read more >>

December 13, Traditional Holiday Party
Our annual Holiday Party will be held again this year at Pal's Cabin West Orange on Tuesday December 13. Mark the date. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Webster who has been video taping all the lectures which are now available on the web. She will discuss the current state of technology in videotaping and show clips of the lectures that have been recorded this year including many pictures of our members. A fun night is guaranteed.

Videos of Our Lectures
Thanks to the fine work of Nancy Webster our lectures are now videotaped and are available for viewing on the internet.

Every video is enhanced with personal touches by Nancy who does a great job. Photos taken by Sharon Austin are also added.

A New Season

2011-09-10T14:58:00.000-04:00

This is the start of a new and exciting season for our World War 2 Book Club, and we have a great set of programs for the balance of year 2011. As always, all meetings take place at the Millburn Public Library, 200 Glen Avenue, Millburn, NJ 07041.

Tuesday, October 18:
Marilyn C. Solvay, Ph.D., Director of the Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University will discuss the history of this proud military college, the first private military school in the United States, founded in 1819 from which many of our military leaders have graduated. Dr. Solvay will also discuss the current program of World War 2 studies.

Tuesday, November 15
Blaine Pardoe, author of of Lost Eagles: One Man's Mission to Find Missing Airmen in Two Wars will discuss his award winning book. Mr. Pardoe weaves together the fascinating story of one man who devoted his life to developing technology and a methodology for locating the remains of missing airmen. He established the procedure, still in place today, of imprinting the serial numbers of the aircraft on every single piece of equipment used in the aircraft so the plane can be identified even when a crash scatters the parts over a large area.

Traditional Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 13
Our annual Holiday Party will be held again this year at Pal's Cabin, West Orange on Tuesday December 13. Mark the date. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Webster who has been video taping all the lectures which are now available on the web. She will discuss the current state of technology in videotaping and show clips of the lectures that have been recorded this year including many pictures of our members.

Read the complete newsletter, Vol. 2, #9.

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 Meeting Announcement

2011-05-08T10:30:00.000-04:00

The next meeting of the World War 2 Book Club will be Tuesday May 17, 2011, 7PM to 9PM at our usual meeting place, Millburn Library. Ursula Pawel will discuss her extraordinary story as told in her book, My Child Is Back. Ursula's entire family, mother father and brother were imprisoned by the Nazis when they took over Germany. Her father and brother never survived,but through skill, ingenuity, and a good deal of luck Irsula survived and lived to tell her story.After her release she had heard rumors that a women who resembledher mother was seen in a distant town. Ursula setout on foot to locate her mother, and after many months miraculously encountered her mother in a distant city.

Important Announcement: We are endeavoring to video our lectures and make them available for viewing on our web site. The Watkins lecture was filmed, and Nancy Webster did a remarkable job of editing and adding music, as well as interviews. You can view the entire lecture on this site: http://vimeo.com/23141723

Meeting Announcement

2011-03-21T20:11:00.000-04:00

Paul Watkins - Wednesday April 20, 2011 - Author, Lecturer, Historian. Professor at the Prestigious Peddie School Hightstown, New Jersey

Our program for WEDNESDAY.[Note the change in day due to scheduling conflict] will feature Paul Watkins. Mr. Watkins, an English Professor at The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. Watkins has published 10 novels and two non-fiction books, has lectured extensively both in the United States and abroad, including lectures at the Explorers Club in New York, the New York Public Library, and the Royal Society of Literature in London.

The subject of Watkin's lecture will be the Nazi Waffen SS on which he is a recognized authority.

Paul Watkins was educated at the Dragon School, Eton College and Yale University. The London Telegraph said "Paul Watkins has become the writer of his generation whose future course will be watched with most interest". He has been compared to Hemingway and Conrad and his books have been translated into 9 languages.

We are privileged to have the chance to hear him speak. This promises to be a wonderful evening. Don't miss it

Jan Herman - Tuesday, March 15th - Chief Historian of The Navy Medical Department 7pm

2011-02-20T16:21:00.000-05:00

Our Next program at the Milburn Library, Tuesday March 15th, 7 to 9 pm, will feature Jan Herman, Chief Historian of the Navy Medical Department, and editor of its prestigious journal Navy Medicine.

Prepared to heal and comfort our sailors, the medical men and women of the U.S. Navy are a critical element of our fighting force. The stories of the naval medical personnel highlight how important they are to the operation of our navy.

Jan Herman will tell the story of the role the Navy medical team played at Normandy on June 6, 1944, later at Iwo Jima, and Okinawa in the Pacific campaign, and also the latest conflicts in Iraq, and Afghanistan.

He will trace the history of the Navy Medical team and describe the latest medical advances used to treat our wounded fighting men and women.

Meeting Announcement - Historian Richard Lucas, Tuesday February 15, 2011 at 7PM

2011-01-30T22:01:00.000-05:00

Our next program will be a lecture by local historian Richard Lucas at the Millburn Library 200 Glen Avenue, Tuesday February 15, 2011 at 7PM.

Lucas will talk about his recently published book Axis Sally The American Voice of Nazi Germany. This is the fascinating story of a notorious failed American actress turned radio announcer, better known to the American GI's who served in the European theatre of war during World War II as "Axis Sally". Her name was Mildred Gillars.

In the early 1930's she struggled as an actress in New York City, appearing occasionally with stock companies, but was unable to establish a theatrical career. After several trips to Europe looking for employment, she finally in 1940 obtained work as an announcer with the German State Radio.

When war broke out she had the opportunity to return home, but elected to stay in Germany. She signed a written oath of allegiance to Germany and broadcast throughout the war. She acquired a number of names from her GI listeners including "Berlin Bitch" and "Berlin Babe" but the one that stuck and for which she is known is "Axis Sally". Her program was titled "Home Sweet Home Hour". The main thrust of her broadcasts was directed toward making the American forces in Europe homesick. A constant theme of hers was the infidelity of wives and sweethearts broadcast regularly to the soldiers in Europe and North Africa.

Her most famous, or infamous, broadcast was just prior to the D-Day invasion of France in 1944 when the Germans knew that an invasion was imminent. She played the leading part in a play as an Ohio mother who dreams that her son died a horrific death on a ship in the English Channel during an attempted [and failed] invasion of France.

She was arrested immediately after the war in Berlin, returned to the United States and tried for Treason. Convicted, she was sentenced to 10-30 years in prison. She actually served 12 years and spent the remainder of her life in partial seclusion teaching in a small Catholic school in Ohio.

Her conviction raised some interesting and controversial legal issues, and many legal scholars attribute her conviction to the hysteria of the times.

Copies of Lucas' book will be available for purchase and signing.

Next Lecture: January 18, 2011 Terry Golway

2010-11-23T10:17:00.000-05:00

There is no lecture scheduled for December. On Tuesday January 18, 2011 we will have a lecture by Terry Golway on his recently published book Together We Cannot Fail. Terry is a professor of History at Kean University. The book is a compilation of essays on the major Fireside Chats delivered by President Franklin Roosevelt during the War years. His radio addresses were heard by millions of Americans whose only source or news in those days was the newspaper and radio. Americans would huddle around the single radio they owned in those days, usually in the living room, and listed to his golden voice. Whatever your politics, no one can deny Roosevelt's gift for oratory!

Terry delivered a lecture on his book at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library a few months ago and Drs. McLaughlin and Lomazow were in the audience and immediately engaged him for a lecture for our Book Club. One delightful feature of Terry's book is that it comes with a CD of the major radio talks. When Professor Gumz delivered a lecture on D-Day a few months ago we played Roosevelt's famous "D-Day Prayer" speech that he delivered to the nation the evening of the D-Day invasion. It is a remarkable speech with heavy religious overtones, not likely to be ever heard in contemporary political addresses again. The sound quality of the speeches on the Disk are remarkable. Please don't miss this lecture.

Next Lecture October 19, 2010

2010-09-28T20:02:00.000-04:00

Thomas Fleming, author of over 40 books has written only one devoted to World War 2, but it is an outstanding award winning contribution, The New Dealers' War-F.D.R. and the War Within World War II. Mr. Fleming will appear at the Book Club on Tuesday October 19, same time and place. We urge you to read this book before the lecture to obtain the most pleasure from the lecture. Most libraries have it, and it can be purchased for under five dollars on the web. Anyone wishing to purchase the book, we recommend you look at AbeBooks.com which has a substantial number available. This book relates in fascinating detail all the behind the scenes dealings in the Roosevelt administration during the war, and the political and military decisions which had a critical impact on the course of the war.

Dr. McLaughlin Wedemeyer Lectures, Friday Oct. 8th and Tuesday Oct 12th

2010-09-27T19:41:00.000-04:00

Dr. McLaughlin is scheduled to give a lecture about General Wedemeyer at New York Military Affairs Symposium (NYMAS) 283 Lexington Avenue New York on Friday October 8, 2010 at 7PM. He is also scheduled to lecture on General Wedemeyer at Brookdale College, Lincroft New Jersey Tuesday October 12, at 7:30PM.

Next Meeting: September 21st

2010-07-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

We are proud to announce that our next guest lecturer is Dr. Jonathan Gumz, Assistant Professor of History at the Unites States Military Academy at West Point.

Professor Gumz earned his B.A and M.A in history at the University of Wisconsin, and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

His lecture will discuss little known facts about the D Day Invasion and offer his perspectives on strategic alternatives.

As usual, the meeting will be held at the Millburn Public Library and commence at 7 PM.

June 29, 2010 Meeting

2010-06-09T21:09:00.000-04:00

The New Jersey World War 2 Book Club, a Not For Profit New Jersey Corporation is pleased to announce a lecture by the distinguished author Elizabeth M. Norman, Ph.D.

The lecture will be on Tuesday June 29, 2010, from 7 to 9PM at the Millburn Library 200 Glen Avenue Millburn, New Jersey [next to the Millburn Train Station] She will discuss her acclaimed book We Band of Angels, the story of the heroic American nurses trapped on Bataan by the Japanese during the first months of World War 2, and forced to spend the entire war on Corregidor island as prisoners of the Japanese. As Stephen Ambrose said, these nurses "...were the bravest of the brave, who endured unspeakable pain and torture. Americans today should thank God we had such women."

Elizabeth Norman is the daughter of two World War 2 veterans. Her father served with the United States Army in Europe in 1944, and her mother was in uniform with the Coast Guard. Elizabeth, a registered nurse, turned after graduation to a career in writing. She earned her graduate and doctoral degrees from New York University and graduated with a Ph.D in 1986. She is also a member of the tenured faculty of New York University, where she teaches history, writing and research design in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.

In addition to We Band of Angles Elizabeth Norman is the author of Women at War: the Story of Fifty Military Nurses Who Served in Vietnam in 1965-1973. These books preceded the award winning Tears in the Darkness which she co authored with her husband. Tears in the Darkness is the story of the Bataan Death March. The Normans spent ten years researching and interviewing for Tears in the Darkness, and made four trips to Asia and crossed America several times for the book.

The Normans have two grown sons, Joshua and Benjamin, and a daughter-in-law Rachel Cahn Norman. For most of their married life they have lived in Montclair, New Jersey.

This lecture concludes the first successful year of the World War 2 Book which will pick up the lecture series after the summer break with a lecture by Johathan Gumz, professor at the United States Military Academy who will discuss little known stories of the D-Day Invasion.

Admission is free for first time guests. Anyone interested in additional information can contact A. Ralph Kristeller, M.D. Chair of the event at 973-822-9288 or rkistelle@aol.com or Dr. John J. McLaughlin at the address listed above.

Next Meeting May 18, 2010

2010-04-25T20:16:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday May 18 we will hear a lecture by Harry Ettlinger on the Monuments Men, a book about the men designated by the American Military to retrieve valuable art objects stolen by the Nazis during World War 2. Ettlinger, a Morris County resident is the last surviving member of this elite group of soldiers entrusted with this unique mission. He also has a fascinating story to tell about his being in the very last group of Jews allowed to leave Germany before the gates slammed shut and those left behind were consigned to concentration camps by the Nazis. Don't miss this exciting lecture. As usual all meetings at the Millburn Library 200 Glen Avenue Millburn, NJ next to the Millburn Train Station. The meeting starts at 7PM and will be over approximately 8:30 PM.

Next Meeting April 20, 2010

2010-03-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

The next meeting of the World War 2 Book Club will be on April 20. Historian and author David Sears will discuss his popular book At War With The Wind. Sears is a Morris County resident, and in addition to writing several other books on the war in the Pacific works as a business consultant. He is a former officer in the United States Navy with extensive sea duty aboard a destroyer and in addition is a Vietnam war veteran. In writing At War With the Wind he carried out original research and conducted hundreds of interviews.

The war in the Pacific theatre has often been overlooked in favor of the European conflict, but the current HBO series on the war in this neglected theatre has brought this subject back to the forefront. Don't miss this exciting evening. As always the meetings run from 7 to 9 PM at the Millburn Public Library.

There will be an opportunity to purchase signed copies of his book at the conclusion of the lecture.

Next Meeting March 16, 2010

2010-02-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

Panel Discussion of Paul Fussell's Wartime

On March 16, 2010 we will try a new format. There will be a three person panel discussion of Paul Fussell's popular Wartime, a fascinating exploration of the social, economic, and political events on the home front during World War 2.

The Panel members will be Trina Frankel, M.D., Joseph R. Purcell, Esq. and William L. Clayton. There will be ample opportunity for audience participation, and members are urged to read this book prior to the meeting. It is available at most book stores, or on line for a few dollars at ABEbooks.com. In addition there will be a display of memorabilia including pictures of the many propaganda posters, American, German and Japanese which appeared during the war.

Please join us for what promises to be a fun evening.

A New Look at "Vinegar" Joe Stillwell

2010-02-01T18:55:00.000-05:00

This article originally appeared on HNN on 1-04-10

A Closer Look at "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell
By John J. McLaughlin
Mr. McLaughlin received his PhD in history from Drew University in 2008. His dissertation focused on General Albert C. Wedemeyer.

Americans rightly regard General Joseph W. Stilwell as a hero. Few know that he was a total failure with respect to his primary mission which was to be the Commander of American Forces in the China Burma India theater (CBI) and Chief of Staff to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek! That story has not been told.

Stilwell became an iconic hero in the annals of World War II. His famous "walk out from Burma," his salty language, and his later retaking of Burma in 1944 generated a good deal of interest at a time when the American public was starving for heroes. The official history of World War II, the 79 volumes of the "Green Book" series devoted three volumes to the CBI where Stilwell served in World War II and praise him highly for his efforts in Burma and China. Popular historian Barbara Tuchman in her best seller Stillwell and the American Experience in China writes glowingly of his exploits, and in turn disparagingly of his successor, General Albert C. Wedemeyer. She found Wedemeyer's use of an exclamation mark in his own 1958 memoir, Wedemeyer Reports! to be pompous and, in a foot stamping put down said: "Not given, as he climbed, to reticence about his virtues, he subsequently vindicated his career in a book which bore his own name and an exclamation point in the title." When Stilwell was recalled in October 1944 by President Roosevelt the decision was widely unpopular in the American press. Drew Pearson, the influential Washington columnist, ridiculed Wedemeyer's new assignment in a column in the Washington Times, and many others agreed. Not surprisingly Wedemeyer, as his replacement was given little credit for his efforts in China. The disdain that Stilwell had for Wedemeyer, often expressed verbally and in print did little to enhance Wedemeyer's image in the popular press. When in October 1944 Stilwell finally realized he was to be replaced he stated he hoped it would not be by Wedemeyer, who he said was the "world's most pompous prick."

Clearly Stilwell was easy to write about and was popular with both his troops and the press. When in the Spring of 1942 he took over a hopeless task in Burma he was soundly defeated and driven from Burma by a vastly better equipped, better organized and highly motivated Japanese army. When at last he finally realized there was no hope he consented to have his dispirited forces evacuated by plane, just hours away from capture. He refused to board the last available plane sent to rescue him. His last message repeated all over the world was " I prefer to walk," and walk he did, through dense forest, underbrush, bamboo thickets, steep mountainsides, biting ants, bloodthirsty bugs and leaches, dehydration, hunger, and withering sun. A three star general, 59 years of age, who wore no insignia or rank, he lead his retreating group on foot. They were beset with bouts of food poisoning, a withering sun and malaria, all the while just days, and sometimes hours away from the pursuing Japanese. Stilwell did not lose a single one of the 115 who accompanied him in this retreat. Reporter Jack Belden, part of the this group which could not make the last plane, accompanied Stilwell and an assorted group of nurses, soldiers and civilian and told the remarkable story in his best seller Retreat With Stilwell.

The retreat was closely followed and reported by the world press and generated enormous interest. Several books have been written about the retreat. When his group finally reached India his "walk-out" was reported in every major newspaper in the world and he was famous. He was mobbed at the airport by a swarm of over a hundred newsman and photographers. There was little good news at the time and his retreat and promise to return and retake Burma put him on the cover of many major newspapers and magazines.

In the fall of 1943 and the spring of 1944, largely with Chinese troops he personally trained he led a force into Burma which in a six month period drove the Japanese from Burma and reopened the Burma Road. He personally led these forces from a front line position with little or no regard for his own safety. For his efforts he won his fourth star, ironically on the recommendation of a man he hated, General Wedemeyer.

So, what is there to find fault with about Stilwell? Wedemeyer, relates how when he arrived at Kunming China in October 1944 to replace Stilwell, there was no one there to brief him on events that had transpired in China in the previous six months that Stilwell had been totally incommunicado in Burma. Stilwell had left without waiting to brief Wedemeyer, and left no operational plans to guide him. For this serious breach of military courtesy Stilwell has never been called to task. Moreover, during that same 6 month period the Japanese had launched their last desperate offensive and but for the intervention of Wedemeyer with new troops assigned to him by Chiang Kai-shek, China's last air depot Kunming, the terminal for the air transport over "The Hump" would have been lost and China would have been totally cut off. One critic who recognized the strategic blunder of Stilwell, and saw the anomaly of a three star general in the jungles on the front lines called Stilwell, "the best three star battalion commander in the United States Army."

Perhaps more importantly, it was Stilwell's myopic view of his function in China, namely to beat the Japanese, using the combined forces of the Nationalists and the Communists in one integrated army, an inherently impossible task, which set him apart from Wedemeyer. Unlike Stilwell, Wedemeyer understood the menace of Communism. Stilwell naively thought, as General Marshall did later in 1945, that he could blend these forces into one fighting unit against the Japanese. He used his power over Lend Lease material in an effort to bend Chiang Kai-shek to his will and force him to absorb the Communist troops and Nationalist troops into one army. Stilwell hated Chiang Kai-shek, and his attitude greatly influenced both General Marshall and the American Foreign Service Officers who were influential in encouraging the State Department to withhold aid to the Nationalists. The Communist forces benefited greatly from these decisions.

Wedemeyer, on the other hand repeatedly warned the State Department, his superiors, and both Roosevelt and Truman that failure to support Chiang Kai-shek would ultimately lead to a Communist take over of China. He reiterated these recommendations in his famous 1947 report to President Truman but the report was suppressed, and the result was a Communist take over in 1949. All Wedemeyer's recommendations, like the mythical Cassandra, were accurate, but not believed.

Next Meeting February 16, 2010 - FDR's Deadly Secret

2010-01-30T17:56:00.000-05:00

New Jersey World War 2 Book Club Announces A Lecture by
Steven Lomazow, MD.

Where: The Millburn Library

When: Tuesday February 16, 2010
7-9PM

Dr Lomazow will be speaking about his recently released book FDR's Deadly Secret. Dr. Lomazow, a practicing Neurologist is a member of the Book Club and has written a fascinating medical detective story about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's battle with the deadly and fatal disease of melanoma, a cancer, which he and his medical and political consultants deliberately concealed from the public. The book raises intriguing questions about the tension between a patient's right to privacy, a doctor's duty not to disclose the nature of a patient's illness, and the public's right to know, when the disease might well impair the President's ability to deal with questions affecting the nation's national security. Judge Andrew Napolitano, of Fox News, called the book "dynamite"; the book has been extensively reviewed in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and is currently a History Book Club selection.

Any one with questions contact Dr. John J. McLaughlin at 973-467-3313 or NJWW2BookClub@aol.com