Lest We Forget Initiative

Sitting down with Mr. Ed Gill on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day was nothing short of special. 82 years had passed but Ed, now 98 years old recalled the vivid details of his service years like it was yesterday. He was 16 when Pearl Harbor was bombed but wasn’t allowed to join the fight until two years later. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop him from planning ahead. Ed knew he wanted to be a Navy man. L...

Sitting down with Mr. James Craig and hearing his story of serving in the U.S. 3rd Army under General Patton was an absolute honor. Mr. Craig turns 102 on October 17th and speaks of growing up in western Pennsylvania, graduating from Allegheny College then being sent off to the European Theater with the 652nd Topographic Battalion. His journey overseas took him from England, France and into German...

To understand the whole perspective of WWII its vitally important to not only learn about life overseas but also the difficulty of home life during wartime. I recently sat down with Mrs. Frankie McLean, 96 years old of Cordova, Alabama and Mrs. Mary Dell Barker, 102 years old of Sulligent, Alabama to pick up on what it was like in the United States while those in their community were sent overseas...

Lest We Forget Initiative's latest conversation is with 102 year old 2nd Lt. Jack Collier of Forestdale, Alabama. Jack saw WWII from the air, flying over 40 missions in his B-26 Marauder from Matching Green, England and Roye, France hitting tactical targets over German occupied Europe from January 1944 until Germany surrendered in May 1945. He was attached to the 391st Bombardment Group of the 9th...

What a treat it was sitting down with 97 year old Jasper, Alabama native, Hansel Hudson. Born on August 15th, 1926, Hansel speaks on the values his parents raised him and his siblings on during their childhood in the Great Depression, being at Musgrove Country Club when hearing of the attack on Pearl Harbor which then sent him into being drafted in the U.S. Army. During his basic training at Fort...

Welcome to our 3rd interview, this one is with Specialist - 3rd Grade Ray Wadsworth of Arley, Alabama. He is a graduate of Meek High School where he actually attended two high school reunions due to being sent off into the U.S. Army just five months prior to graduation then returning after service to receive his diploma. Sp3. Wadsworth was sent to Pearl Harbor before then being sent to South Korea...

This week Lest We Forget Initiative's episode two guest is Cpl. Wardell Wright of Fayette, Alabama. Although, not from Walker County he and his family have strong ties to the area and he currently resides in Jasper. Wardell was born in 1923 and talks about being raised as a child during what he calls the "Hoover Days", a reference to 'Great Depression' President, Herbert Hoov...

Join me in welcoming Mr. Raymond Meeks to the first episode of a new series from Lest We Forget Initiative. Raymond was born in Falls City, Alabama then moved to Curry, Alabama where he graduated in 1942 just before being thrusted into WWII with the U.S. Army Signal Corp. As a lifelong military man, he is full of stories from both the Pacific islands during WWII to the war torn mountains of Korea...