Coming up in 2016

The upcoming WWII Book Club meetings in 2016 are as follows.  Mark your calendars!

• January 13: Dr. John Rose will discuss Churchill and the literary life in Britain during WWII.
• February 10: Del Staeker will present Sailor Man, The Troubled Life and Times of J.P. Nunnally, U.S. Navy 
• March 9: Pat Schuber, will discuss his WWII trip to Sicily and Italy, following invasion Husky and Avalanche and the advance of American and British forces. 
• April 13: Pat Chappine will present NJ Women in WWII 
• May 11: Nick Bellantoni will present MysteryQuest—Behind the Scenes of The History Channel’s "Hitler’s Escape” 
• June 8: Bob Max will discuss his capture and treatment as a slave laborer for the Nazi's. 

Hope to see you there. If you have any friends or relatives who might be interested in attending any of the lectures, pass on the information. I hope every one has a Happy New Year.

Richard Schonberg, DMD
President, WWII Book Club of New Jersey

Pictures from Holiday Party

The pictures from the 2015 Holiday Party at the Mayfair Arms on December 7, are now available on Flickr.  Thank you, Nancy Webster! View photos »

Video from Christmas Party Lecture

The “Berlin: Then and Now” lecture given by Miller Bugliari and Dr. Schonberg at the Holiday Party is available on video.  View the video »

Veterans' Night Pictures on Flickr

Pictures taken by Nancy Webster and Marie Somers are now available on Flickr »

Together with Dr. Schonberg, our speakers were:

Dr. Richard Riva

His Father, H. L. Riva, MD, was the Commanding Officer of the 28th Portable Surgical Hospital in the CBI Theater during WW II. He has over 1400 letters of his Mother and Father, who wrote daily. Hers were the diary of a War Bride, His,the chronicles of a combat surgeon. Dr. Richard Riva will present their Timeline in an historical perspective utilizing a power point presentation. He shall also bring artifacts that were sent home, censored letters, time period News articles, ration books, OPA coins, and much more. A lot to do in a short 10 minutes presentation. Dr. Riva is an Army Veteran having served with the 14th ACR in West Germany along the East-West Border in 1968-1970. He then went to Dental School. He is an Oral Maxillo-facial Surgeon and served in the USPHS (Public Health Service) 1978-1981, but has now been in private practice since.

Maxine Giannini

Born in 1929 Maxine Giannini, née Yellin was raised in the Weequahic section of Newark,N.J. She studied art at the Newark School of Find and Industrial Art and the Brooklyn Academy. At the same time, she studied piano privately. Having begun her training at five, she later became a student of Clara Husserl who herself had been taught by Theodore Leschititzky. As an adult she continued her piano studies with Robert Goldsand, Mitchell Andrews, Genia Robinor and Seymour Bernstein. She married Ugo in 1955. Ugo died in 1993, of pulmonary fibrosis. Maxine discovered his last works in his studio. The last work on his easel was H-Hour. The moment of landing. In addition there are thirteen monumental art works using the theme and symbols of the war, and the 29th Division. She discovered the twenty-seven drawings Ugo made beginning on June 6,1944 on Omaha Beach, Dog Green Sector. These works have been exhibited in Paris, on Omaha Beach, in England, as well as in the States/Maxine compiled the book, using the original art as well as Ugo's correspondence to his family and first girlfriend.In addition the book:Drawing D- Day is a brief history of the 29th Division.

John DeLuca

John was born and raised in Newark, NJ. The third of 4 boys he was educated in the ironbound section. During WWII he was employed, at 15 years old, part time as a packing clerk in Jewelry MFG CO. He earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in management at Rutgers University. He eventually became vice president of the company. His brother Russell and he were very close, and shared all that they were involved in. This story is about Russell’s survival in the US army during WII on the D-Day landing in Normandy France in 1944.

Travis Conley

Travis is presently a resident of NYC where he works in the construction and real estate industry, managing properties and construction operations for the Nussbaumer Family. He is a member of the NYC Institute of Real Estate Management, US Green Building Council, and an active member of Trout Unlimited, an organization focused on preserving trout fisheries. He is a native of New Jersey, having grown up in Fair Haven, NJ and attended Rutgers University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics. After Rutgers University he pursued a Masters in Construction Engineering Management from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. His true passion in life is fly fishing and spending time at his cabin

Dr. Schonberg's Photos

At our November meeting, Dr. Schonberg, the President of the Book Club spoke about his father's combat experience in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during the war.

He provided the following pictures:

Anzio, picture taken by
Stanley Schonberg

Stanley Schonberg

Tent of Stanley Schonberg in Anzio

Veterans' Night Video Now Online

The video from the November 17 Veterans' Night presentations - Travis and Justin Conley; Maxine Giannini; Alfred DeLuca; Dr. Richard Riva; Dr. Richard Schonberg - is now available on Youtube.  View the video »

Schedule of Events

Mark your calendars now!

2015

December 7: Holiday Party at the Mayfair Farms in West Orange

2016

• January 13: Dr. John Rose will discuss Churchill and the literary life in Britain during WWII.
• February 10: Del Staeker presents Sailor Man, The Troubled Life and Times of J.P. Nunnally, U.S. Navy
• March 9: Pat Schuber, discussing his WWII trip to Sicily and Italy, following invasion Husky and Avalanche and the advance of American and British forces.
• April 13:  Pat Chappine presents “NJ Women in WWII”
• May 11:  Nick Bellantoni presents: "MysteryQuest—Behind the Scenes of The History Channel’s “Hitler’s Escape”

Veterans' Night - November 17

The next meeting is on Tuesday, November 17 at 7 p.m., “Veterans' Night.

1. Travis and Justin Conley who talk about their grandfather who survived the Bataan Death March, was transported to Japan in one of the "Hell Ships" and finally liberated in August 1945. He wrote an amazing journal which I and Steven Lomazow are co-authoring a book about the experience.
2. Maxine Giannini, author of the book Drawing D-Day will talk about her husband who served with the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division (same unit that was the subject of Paul Zigo's lecture last week). He penned many sketches of the unit in grim detail, which Maxine narrates in her book about her husband.
3. Alfred Deluca, a World War 2 Book Club member. His brother also served with the 116th Infantry. Alfred has pictures and letters he will share with us about his brother's service in this remarkable unit.
4. Dr. Richard Riva, also a Book Club member will tell us about his father's service in China during World War 2
5. Dr. Schonberg, the President of the Book Club will talk about his father's combat experience in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during the war.

Remembering Ursula Pawel

Ursula Pawel at the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum

This past May, one of our most well received speakers, Ursula Pawel, passed away.  Ursula Pawel gave a lecture about her book My Child is Back at the New Jersey World War II Book Club on May 17, 2011.  

We are also fortunate to have an additional video taken by Nancy Webster from an August, 2012 visit with Dr. John McLaughlin and his wife, Mary Jean to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.

Ms. Webster videotaped the entire trip and made special arrangements with the Holocaust Memorial Museum for an early morning tour of the exhibits with no other tourists in the building. More importantly, Ms. Webster made special arrangements for Ursula's personal diary, which had been donated to the Museum some ten to fifteen years previously, to be transported from a warehouse some 10 miles away so Ursula could see it again. Ursula was unaware of the special arrangements that Ms. Webster had made with the Museum and was completely overwhelmed to see this precious diary after the lapse of so many years. The video of Ursula examining the diary follows immediately after the video of the trip through the Museum:

• View the video »
• View The Diary »

Our next meeting scheduled for Wednesday

We are looking forward to hearing Paul Zigo speak about his book, The Longest Walk, the story of the 116th Regiment, this Wednesday, October 21 at 7 p.m. in the Millburn Library.

Our line-up of speakers for the winter and spring of 2016 promises to be an exciting one.  A full calendar will be posted on this blog soon.

Other events coming up:

November 2 (Monday)

2 p.m.

Millburn Public Library

Dr. John J. McLaughlin will host a book review of Dead Wake by Eric Larson 

December 7 (Monday)

The Holiday party will be held at the Mayfair Farms in West Orange.  (The day may live in infamy but the night should be fun!) Mark your calendars

November 17 (Tuesday)

The next meeting of the New Jersey World War II Book Club.  

Please pay your dues

If you have not yet done so, please pay your $35.00 dues to: WW2 Book Club of New Jersey and mail to Richard Schonberg, 15 Ballantine Road, Mendham, NJ 0945.

The Life of Jacob Brawler

Dr. John J. McLaughlin

Dr. John J. McLaughlin wrote this story as part of a project during his studies for a doctorate in History at Drew University. He made several trips to South Carolina, visited the Florence National Cemetery in Florence, South Carolina and searched the Revolutionary War records at Columbia, South Carolina.

Read or download the paper »

Next Meeting in October

Please note:

• There will be no lecture in September. 
• The next lecture will be on Wednesday, October 21, 2015. 
• The World War II Book Club Will Continue
  We are happy to inform the Book Club Members that we have a new President who will take over management of the World War II Book Club. John McLaughlin has had several meetings with Dr. Richard Schonberg who has agreed to take over management of the Book Club. John McLaughin will continue as Moderator.

Paul E. Zigo will present a lecture at the Millburn Library on his recently published book, The Longest Walk, the story of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division. (This lecture was previously scheduled for February 17, but cancelled because of a severe storm) The lecture will commence at 7 p.m.

The 116th Infantry Regiment landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day June 6, 1944. They were featured in the riveting opening scene of the movie "Saving Private Ryan". This regiment lost one third of the 3200 men who made the landing that day. Paul has visited the site of the landing at least five times during the preparation of this book.

Paul is an Assistant Professor of History and the Director of the Center for World War II Studies and Conflict Resolution at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ. He teaches American History, the History of World War II, Recent American History as well as Human Geography. He earned a baccalaureate degree in history from Rutgers University in 1964, a master’s degree from Rider University in personnel and guidance in 1973 and a master’s degree from Temple University in recent American diplomatic and military history in August 2000. He also directs the Center for World War II Studies and Conflict Resolution at Brookdale, an educational resource center open to all interested in studying the historical impact and significance of the Second World War.

 Mr. Zigo is a 30-year veteran of the United States Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel in 1994. He is a 1989 graduate of the U.S Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, PA.

Remarks on the 70th Anniversary of VJ Day

Surrender of Japan - USS Missouri

Dr. John J. McLaughlin gave this lecture on August 15, 2015 to a group of veterans at Camp Evans, Wall Township, NJ on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of VJ Day. A number of the people in the audience were combat veterans who had served in Europe, and were slated to travel to the Pacific to take part in Operation Downfall, the invasion of the Japanese homelands, but were saved from this ordeal by the dropping of the Atom Bombs. Many of the veterans are angry about reading and hearing stories which criticize the use of the bomb to end the war. They all said "Thank God For The Bomb."  Read the remarks »

Black Loyalists Lecture: February 13, 2013

Dr. John J. McLaughlin presented a lecture about the Black Loyalists at the North Jersey Revolutionary War Round Table on February 13, 2013.

Dr. John J. McLaughlin wrote his thesis at Drew University for his Master’s Degree in Theology about the Black Loyalists. He became interested in the subject when he took a course in the Revolutionary War. Dr. McLaughlin made two trips to Nova Scotia, visited the Black Loyalist Museum in Birchtown, Nova Scotia, interviewed dozens of the descendants of the Black Loyalists still living in Nova Scotia, and did additional research at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He has given lectures to many groups in New Jersey and elsewhere on the history of the Black Loyalists.

To read or download the lecture »

Pat Schuber's lecture on "Operation Anthropoid - the Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich" is now available on YouTube, with thanks to Millburn Camera for its assistance in taping the lecture and Richard Schonberg who edited the video. View the video »

In Memoriam: Ursula Pawel

Ursula Pawel, whose presentation of her book, My Child Is Back, in May, 2011 was one of the Book Club's most well attended and received meetings, passed away on May 30, 2015 at the age of 89. In her 80s when she spoke to the Book Club, Ms. Pawel captivated the audience with her personal story of surviving World War II - through selection points at Auschwitz and close encounters with certain death, to finally being reunited with her mother after the war's end.

The New Jersey World War II Book Club was honored to have Ms. Pawel speak and her lively presence, her witness to history, will be deeply missed.

• Ms. Pawel's obituary contains more details about her amazing life »
• Video of Ms. Pawel's presentation at the May 17, 2011 meeting »

Tucker Lecture Available on Youtube

Bruce Tucker's lecture  on the Japanese Super Submarine (I-400 class) is now available on YouTube, with thanks to Millburn Camera for its assistance in taping the lecture and Richard Schonberg who edited the video. View the video »

Schuber to Speak on Operation Anthropoid

William "Pat" Shuber

Our next lecture will be on Tuesday, June 23 at 7 p.m. at the Millburn Library. William "Pat" Schuber will speak about "Operation Anthropoid - The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich." Mr. Schuber is a lawyer and teaches history at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is also a Civil War historian and has visited every one of the Civil War battle sites.

Operation Anthropoid was the assassination of top Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich, the Chief of Reich Main Security Office, the "Protector of Bohemia and Moravia" and the chief planner of the Final Solution. He was involved in most of Hitler's intrigues and a valued political ally, advisor and friend of the dictator. Due to his abilities and power he was feared by almost all the Nazi generals. Heydrich was nicknamed The Butcher of Prague, the Blond Beast or the Hangman.

The exiled government of Czechoslovakia under President Edvard Benes was under pressure from British intelligence, as there had been very little visible resistance in the Czech lands since the German occupation began in 1939. Resistance was brutally destroyed by Heydrich. The decision to assassinate Heydrich was designed to give inspiration to the Czech people and show the world that the Czechs were allies. Heydrich was one of the most important men in Nazi Germany and his death would be a huge loss and a profound psychological victory.

 The carefully planned effort to kill Heydrich has been thoroughly researched by Pat Schuber, who has visited the site of the assassination and read extensively about the event. His lecture will include many slides, including images of the completely destroyed village of Lidice, which was leveled to the ground on personal orders from Hitler in retaliation for the assassination.

Japanese Submarines Are May Meeting Topic

The next meeting of the New Jersey World War II Book Club will be on Tuesday, May 19,  at the Millburn Library, at 7 p.m.

Our speaker will be Bruce Tucker who will present a lecture, slides and some video on the Japanese Super Submarine (I-400 class) and Japan’s plan to use these submarines to alter the course of World War II. While there were a number of significant secret weapons developed during World War II such as jet aircraft like the ME-262 and missiles like the V-1 and V-2, one of the most secret and potentially most terrorizing of them all was a gigantic 400 foot long submarine that could travel 1 and 1/2 times around the world undetected and then surface briefly off the coast of a major US city like NY or Washington and launch a surprise attack. Although these monster Japanese submarines were never actually used as they were intended, and all traces of them disappeared shortly after the end of the war, they did manage to inspire the post war/cold war navy’s of the world with some of their astounding technologies. Two of their submerged wrecks, I-400 and I-401 were only recently discovered by divers in 2005 and 2013 off the coast of Hawaii. They now help to tell the rest of their story and why they were quickly disposed of by the US Navy in 1946.

 Bruce Tucker has taught history at Rutgers University School of Continuing Education Osher Life Long Learning Program and was recently awarded the 2015 Marlene M. Pomper OLLI-RU Teaching Award. Bruce also lectures and presents living history at various libraries, senior centers, community centers and public schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York City. He is a graduate of the City University of New York and The Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. He lectured to us back in November, 2013 on Operation Catapult, the destruction of the French Navy during the fall of France in the summer of 1940, and was warmly received.

Kaiser Lecture Available on Youtube

David Kaiser's April lecture on his book, No End Save Victory, is now available on Youtube, with thanks to Richard Schonberg who taped and edited the lecture and Millburn Camera for the use of its equipment.  View the video »

Hedtke Lecture Available on Youtube

Professor Hedtke's March lecture on the Freckleton, England air disaster is now available on Youtube, with thanks to Richard Schonberg who taped and edited the lecture and Millburn Camera for the use of its equipment.  View the video »

David Kaiser to Speak at April Meeting

The next meeting of the World War II Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, as usual at the Millburn Library, 200 Glen Avenue Millburn, NJ.

Our speaker will be David Kaiser who will lecture on his new book No End Save Victory - How FDR Led The Nation Into War. While Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first hundred days may be the most celebrated period of his presidency, the months before the attack on Pearl Harbor proved the most critical. Roosevelt skillfully navigated a host of challenges - a reluctant population, an unprepared military, and disagreements within his cabinet - to prepare the country for its inevitable confrontation with the Axis. In No End Save Victory, esteemed historian David Kaiser draws on extensive archival research to reveal the critical preparations that enabled the United States to win the Second World War. David Kaiser has taught history at Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, the Naval War College and Williams College. He is the author of seven books.

Dr. McLaughlin heard this lecture at the FDR Library and immediately booked Mr. Kaiser for the World War II Book Club. He is traveling from Watertown, Massachusetts to deliver this lecture. This is a lecture everyone will enjoy.

Read the New York Times review by Michael Beschloss »

Ronald Rosbottom at Words Bookstore - March 13

On Friday, March 13, at 8 p.m.,  Professor Ronald Rosbottom of Amherst College will present a lecture about his recently published book, When Paris Went Dark, at Words Bookstore located in Maplewood center at 179 Maplewood Avenue.

This book received glowing reviews and was on the long list for a national book award. Professor Rosbottom, drawing on a range of resources - memoirs, diaries, letters, archives, and interviews - evokes with stunning precision the detail of daily life in a city under occupation, the brave people who fought against the darkness, as well as those who collaborated with their occupiers.  Visit Words Bookstore for event details »

Prof. Hedtke to Speak on March 17

The next meeting of the World War II Book Club will be on Tuesday March 17, 2015, as usual at the Millburn Library commencing at 7 p.m.

Our speaker will be Professor James R. Hedtke, a professor of history and political science at Cabrini College located in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Professor Hedtke will talk about his recently published book The Freckleton, England, Air Disaster, the B-24 crash that killed 38 preschoolers and 23 adults, August 23, 1944.

On that date an American B-24 Liberator crashed into the small village of Freckleton in northwest England, located approximately 50 miles north of Liverpool. The plane was on a test flight when it encountered a rare and severe thunderstorm. Air traffic control at the American air base Warton recalled the bomber back to the base. When the pilot attempted to abort the landing because of poor visibility and high winds, a downdraft caught the plane and it crashed into the adjacent village of Freckleton. The huge ball of fire that erupted, engulfed a local school, and destroyed close to an entire generation of children in the village of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants as well as 23 adults. The village would never be the same.

Tragedies like this are not uncommon in war and most of them are very much overshadowed, receiving but brief press accounts and quickly overtaken by accounts of events deemed more newsworthy. Professor Hedtke has made several trips to Freckleton, met and interviewed many of the survivors, and done extensive research in preparing and writing his compelling story of this tragedy. His account brings to life the events that caused such havoc and heartache to this tiny English village.

We look forward to a wonderful evening.

Tonight's Lecture Cancelled

Unfortunately, the weather has prevented our speaker, Paul Zigo from speaking at our lecture tonight.

McMillan Lecture Video Available

The video of Dan McMillan's January 20 lecture on his book How Could This Happen: Explaining the Holocaust is now available on Youtube.  Thanks go to Richard Schonberg who taped and edited the lecture and Millburn Camera for the use of its equipment.

View the video »

Paul Zigo to Speak at Next Meeting

Paul E. Zigo

The next meeting of the World War II Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, at the Millburn Library.

Our speaker will be Paul E. Zigo who will present a lecture on his recently published book, The Longest Walk, the story of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division.

The 116th Infantry Regiment landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day June 6, 1944 and were featured in the riveting opening scene of the movie "Saving Private Ryan." This regiment lost one third of the 3,200 men who made the landing that day. Paul has visited the site of the landing at least five times during the preparation of this book.

Prof. Zigo is an Assistant Professor of History at Brookdale Community College and teaches American History, the History of World War II, Recent American History as well as Human Geography.  He earned a baccalaureate degree in history from Rutgers University in 1964, a master’s degree from Rider University in personnel and guidance in 1973 and a master’s degree from Temple University in recent American diplomatic and military history in August 2000.

In addition, Prof. Zigo is the Founder and Director of the Center for World War II Studies and Conflict Resolution at Brookdale. The Center for World War II Studies and Conflict Resolution is an educational resource center open to all interested in studying the historical impact and significance of the Second World War.

Mr. Zigo is a 30-year veteran of the United States Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel in 1994. He is a 1989 graduate of the U.S Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, PA. We look forward to a wonderful evening. Please mark the date.

Richard G. Osborne Lecture on YouTube

Richard Osborne

The video recording of Richard Osborne's November lecture is now available on Youtube, thanks to Jasen Aziz and Ryan Sullivan, Sophomores at Millburn High School, who filmed and edited the lecture. 

 
Proceed to the video »