The Nearness of You: Recent Episodes
The Nearness of You
The Nearness of You is a legacy show dedicated to those with family members who served in WWII. Keeping the memories alive is important to all of us.
I had to stop podcasting for a while. I explain why, it was tough we had a health crisis. Things are great now, but darn, it was really hard. I wanted to bring this show back on Memorial Day and a love letter along with it. Memorial Day is NOT about the beginning of summer.Decoration Day started with the cleaning and decorating of Civil War graves.I give the history of it all and the wars every sinceThere is a moment of silence at 3PM each Memorial DayFlags are supposed to be flown at half-staffarted going through dad's letters to see if he wrote one around Decoration DayI found one. It was postmarked May31.He wrote such beautiful letters.They played baseball against another team and won.Then he had his favorite meal.He got cleaned up, drank some beer, and then wrote letters home.He had 6 letters to answer.His parents and Mother's Day.Their friends got married and is sounded like it was a hurry up wedding hmmmHis aunt Marion's son Bob went into the service and I explain my wild wacky Aunt Marion. I think she liked her whiskey.Mom had a birthday coming and he was sad he did not have a gift.Dad says he was 24 no he was 26Mom was going to be 24Then he wrote about the 9th Army and the memorial at the cemetery in HollandDad was in Holland that was a big surpriseHe listened to the service.He listened to Bob Hope.He was emotional - he was tired of being gone, missing her birthday, the memorial, his parents and moreI did some research on the cemetery those are the pictures I included in this show.We all know about Normandy8301 soldiers are buried thereMemorial Day 1945-2017
75 Years ago people were not even out of bed when the world exploded with news that the Japanese had attacked the US at Pearl Harbor.
It was without a doubt the darkest day this country had seen and lead to our entering the war.
In this episode I talk about that, I share parts of the interview with Fuchida the Japanese Naval Officer who lead the attack.
I share Roosevelt's first words.
I share things that possibly lead up to the attack.
I share some theories on the hows and whys.
I read a letter home from dad who heated water in 2 cans to sponge bathe and shave
If you want to reach out to me I am carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
The attack on our country - the attack on Pearl Harbor is embedded forever in our minds
The Day After Veteran's Day is a show of course all about sharing feelings about this very special day. Veteran's Day is a very special day and God Bless ALL VeteransI love my dad and my mom and all vets.The Washington DC trip was wonderful and I spend 1/2 of my first day there at the WWII Memorial I interviewed a National Park Service Ranger that show will be soonI felt my dad's presenceIt is a beautiful memorialI share a lot of quotesMy favorite quote is from Gary Hart: I think there is one higher office than president, and I would call that patriot.I read my dad's letter and come to find out he was always cold, they had a helmet of coal and one pile of wood to heat their tent.He was boiling a can of water to bathe and shave.I learned his pay scaleTough times.Please please please feel free to email me if you want to be on the show, know someone, have a story.carolelynnesanek@gmail.comThank you veterans for your serviceThank you listeners for tuning inI have some fantastic interviews coming soonNext up is CeCe Otto the singer of WWI and WWII singer God Bless ALL Vets.
I am back and so happy to be here again. Sometimes mother nature sends you a nasty sinus infection.
We recorded this episode in my hotel room in Bonita Springs, FL and I am so grateful to her for giving me the opportunity to interview her.
Chris just did her 5th flight and it costs her $425 each time.
She gets a veteran to escort, it's a whirlwind day, but it runs smoothly.
I will be at the WWII Memorial November 3 praying for good weather
Honor Flights go with sirens and lights everywhere they go
What you see and experience in one day is superior to a longer trip
The pilots were female who had served
$80000 to charter a flight shout out to American Airlines money is raised with fundraisers
Chris works with Collier County Honor Flight
When the plane lands back home they are greeted by about 3000+ people (eyes tearing up)
They move a tiny nation to make an Honor Flight happen
We talk about "God Bless America" and period music
People show up in costume
This is an amazing endeavor if you are interested go to https://www.honorflight.org
You can google Chris Griffith too.
They need volunteers
WWII vets get preferential treatment as do those with an illness
I tell the Buddy story ( a veteran whom I will be interviewing)
As always I close with a letter from my dad
He had been moved and could not write about where he was due to the censors
You can contact me at carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
Thank you all so much for listening and yes I got tearful
I am not sure why I decided to do a show about the attack on Pearl Harbor. I just know the story can never be forgotten. I start with a quote from FDRI took a "trip" back in time to when in junior and senior high we had split lunch periods and we had feature films for 20 minutes - badly edited ones at that. War movies and westerns.I discuss films about Pearl HarborI was at the Pearl Harbor Memorial - I criedWhat were people in Hawaii doing on Saturday? Pearl Harbor was attacked on Sunday morning.How did this happen?3500+ diedSept 1940 the US put an embargo on JapanJapan kept getting aggressive then countries froze their assetsThey wanted the oil embargo lifted and if not they would go to war.The US knew an attack was imminentRadar showed planes but the aircraft were thought to be US B-17sThe attack was brutalI paint a vivid picture of that morningA day which will live in infamy.Tora Tora Tora - Tiger Tiger TigerThey knew everything about usThey took out air defenses and then attacked our shipsToday Hawaii's economy depends on tourism both from the US and JapanWe must never allow this to happen again.Willy's letter homeClean underwearShower linesCoffee and doughnutsDid you know soldiers were not allowed to buy food at restaurants while on leave?Anyone know what got packed into a combat pack? If you want to reach me do so by emailing me: carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
I am back. I have a new logo. I have a new album cover. I have renewed energy and love for what I am doing here on Blog Talk Radio. That is my parent's wedding picture when they married on June 19, 1944. I talk about upcoming show ideasI talk about how I am going to WashingtonDC and to the WWII Memorial in NovemberThen I talk about that kiss. You know - the kiss that marked the end of WWIIThere was a commemorative celebration this past weekend in Royal Oak MichiganCostumes were encouraged with sailors and nursing uniformsKissing the War GoodbyeIt seems to be such a different feeling from then to nowThen I found an article about Dunkirk in photos - photos taken by one of Hitler's photographersI talk about confiscated Nazi art and the exhibit I saw in Los AngelesMay 26, 1940 Dunkirk was destroyed - decimatedI talk about my impressions of seeing Coventry Cathedral and the original skeleton of it and the new cathedralThere was nothing left to DunkirkThis was a terrible sceneHugo Jaeger took photos for HitlerLife Magazine got the photos and I share the storyThis is the link for the photos http://time.com/tag/hugo-jaeger/My father was sent home on my parent's wedding anniversary June 19, 1945No letter this time - 3 postcards were sent home for Valentine DayI read the back of the postcardsThe postcard in French is Little Red Riding Hood"Bon Jour Mademoiselle where are you taking this cake and jar of butter".You can email me at carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
We are approaching Independence Day with this episode and I have been in discussion with people who are guardians on Honor Flights to WashingtonDC where they visit the war memorials and receive a huge warm welcome and applause and cheers of gratitude for their service to our country. I cannot even wrote this description without getting tears in my eyes. The memories of WWII will live as long as historians (and podcasters like me) talk and write about it.We begin this episode with a great Abraham Lincoln quote about honor.I will be interviewing an Honor Flight guardian who lives here in FL and flies to DC with veterans.Top priority is given to the senior veterans and those who are terminally ill.640 WWII vets die every day.WWII is truly the war that threatened our very nation.There are many Honor Flight hubs.They travel absolutely free.Honor Flights is a non-profit organization.They fly into all 3 of the DC area airports.They have volunteer guardians who assist them and are greeted by huge crowds.You will learn in listening how Honor Flights got started and it is amazing.You will learn about the 2 men who made Honor Flight what it is today.2015 first all female Honor Flight happened.Thousands of people show up.https://honorflightdca.com/schedule/ this website is the schedule for Honor Flights.I continue on sharing part of a speech given at the WWII Memorial. These are deep moving thoughts and touch on PTSD.Soldiers today learn from WWII it still has relevence. Please reach out to me carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
People have been contacting me about this show offering suggestions, sharing stories, naming names and as I started to do even more research into the life and times of WWII, I realized I wanted to talk about the women.
I also made the decision to read quotes about the war from people who were there, or wrote about it later. War is hell, we all know that, and the reason I do this show is to bring you history and a love story. American Women played important roles in the war at home and in uniform.After Pearl Harbor many wanted to serve.They did clerical jobs as well as drive trucks, repair airplanes, rig parachutes, became radio operators, and also flew planes for target practice.16 women were killed by the enemies60 were taken as POWs in the Phillippines350,000 women served in uniformHow Ike felt about the woman who worked with himLast of all my letter home to my mother even surprised me as it was from my Uncle Charles Hujber now I have more war department research to do.
If you know any women who served please introduce us. You can always find me at carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
I love doing this show. I can hear the Andrews Sisters everytime I sit down to record.
It is the 1930's and while the war is going on in Europe, back here in the United States we were emerging from the Great Depression of 1929 and we needed hope.
Hope came in the shape and form of F.D. Roosevelt and being elected into the office of President of the United States after the disappointment of the former presidential regime.
In this episode I talk about the invention of Kodachrome and what that meant.
The cities that ruled the US and guess what the biggest city in the South at that time was NOT Atlanta.
I bring facts out about the different cities.
Do you know how important Roosevelt's New Deal was?
I discuss the entire "deal" in detail and how it impacted everyone and still lives on to this day.
The New York World's Fair ran for 2 seasons 1939 and 1940.
I share with you facts about those pre-Pearl Harbor days right up to DiMaggio having a spectacular year and the NY Yankees heading to the World Series in 1941.
I share my father's love letter home from 1/16/45 and my mother went back to work.
Thank you ALL so much.
Remember I am always looking for stories, interviews and more you can reach me at carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
THIS IS CAROLE HUJBER SANEK BRINGING YOU THE NEARNESS OF YOU EPISODE 00001 ON THE VERY ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY 72 YEARS AGO.
There are people alive today who remember D-Day well.
I am honored to bring you this show, my first show on the anniversary of D-Day.
In this episode I talk a little about my parent's background, I talk about them falling in love, getting married and then Dad was sent off to fight in Europe.
There will be many more stories coming, I have already been approached by veteran's who want to tell their family stories. If you want to do that, my email address is at the bottom of this description.
My father was enrolled in college to be an architect like my mother's father, and join the firm. It was 1941 and Pearl Harbor changed all his dreams.
I read his first letter home from a "secret" place that was very cold and snowy (I think it might have been Colorado). He wrote beautiful eloquent love letters and I can see his hand holding the fountain pen. His penmanship was regal. His words better than mine, and he writes with dignity and extreme adoration for my mother.
Please enjoy this short episode there will be more.
Meet my dad, Willy, and my mom, June and please if you have a story to tell or want to be interviewed on this show, you can reach me at carolelynnesanek@gmail.com
THIS SHOW IS DEDICATED TO KEEPING THIS PERIOD IN HISTORY ALIVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS – THE GREATEST GENERATION.
This pre-launch show was recorded to share a taste of what will be included in the menu of future shows. It began with the idea to read all my father's love letters home from his training to his service in France and Germany and his arrival back home. It has been growing by leaps and bounds into a trip back in time where I will talk about the what the world was like and what was happening to those who kissed their loved ones not knowing if that would be the last kiss. I will be talking about the women, the children, the movies and music, and everything that was part of the lives of those who were affected by the war. My goal is to make sure we do not allow this important part of world history to disappear. There is much to be remembered, much we all can learn, much we can share. Every single one of us has family members with stories, and I want to bring these stories to life again. I want people to talk to me about their memories. My fascination with WWII began when I read "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank and I leave you with one of her quotes: "We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."