Guy's Books and Thoughts

I do not believe that history can only be found in dry academic
textbooks or boring class lectures. History is a record of peoples�
lives.

Some of the records are precise and accurate, others not so accurate.
It is my conviction that one can learn history by talking to people
and keeping one�s eyes and ears open.

There is a saying that we are all connected by six degrees of
separation. I don�t know what the ratio would be if you included the
people from the past.

In my life I have run across some of the most interesting people. And
talking to these people has given me a window into history. During
the course of a conversation, someone referred me to a certain lady
who grew up in Nazi Germany. One day I called up that lady to ask
about that period of time. Her father was a German lawyer who was a
member of the Reichstag and her mother was a Polish Jew, who taught
Economics at the University of Berlin. When Hitler came to power,
both parents lost their jobs. They survived by moving to the country
and maintaining a low profile. She later served as
Lucius Clay�s translator for three years. She also translated for
former President Herbert Hoover when he visited Germany.

My friend �Grandma� (short for �adopted Grandma from church) is an
interesting character. She went to Hong Kong to work for the
church. That is where she met someone who later became a well known
scholar on China. One day Grandma told me that she wanted to
reestablish contact with a former co-worker. That co-worker had
written a book entitled SONG OF SURVIVAL, about her experiences as a
P.O.W in Indonesia during World War II. I remember hearing a talk
by someone about how some women had created a �vocal� orchestra during
their captivity. I called the person, who gave the talk, and asked
him how I could contact the author. He laughed and said she was in
the phone book. I passed the information to Grandma. Grandma and
I were both able to visit with the author and talk a bit about the
book and get her autograph. The author has continued to promote
the �Song of Survival� work. A copy of the music can be found at
Stanford University. And various choirs have done performances from
that work.

I find it interesting when a person�s story ties in with what I read
or another person�s story. Grandma told me of the time she took a
picture of a black Mercedes parked outside the U.S. embassy, in
China. She was so mad that she got out of her car and took a picture
of the car. The car moved from its parking place, briefly blocked her
path, and then went back to its parking space. She told me that they
were secret police. I was somewhat skeptical at the time, until I
read the book DAUGHTER OF CHINA by Larry Engelmann. In that book the
main character of the book is taken away by the secret police in a
black Mercedes.

You never know what interesting people you might run across In the
bookstore I have met two naval veterans of World War II; one was a
Pearl Harbor survivor and the other was the graduate of the Colorado
Language School, which specialized in teaching Japanese at the
time. At church I met, the previously mentioned Grandma, and a
former female marine, who worked as a mechanic on Corsairs.

In conclusion, I would encourage you to be aware of the people around
you. Who knows ? Maybe you will get an interesting glimpse into
history that the textbooks or Television programs do not provide.