Of Windmills and War (51 page)

Authors: Diane H Moody

Tags: #Fiction, #Historical

BOOK: Of Windmills and War

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About the Author

Born in
Texas
and raised in
Oklahoma
, Diane Hale Moody is a
graduate of
Oklahoma
State
University
. She lives with her husband
Ken in the rolling hills just outside of
Nashville
. They are the proud parents of two grown and extraordinary
children, Hannah and Ben.

Just after
moving to
Tennessee
in 1999, Diane felt the tug
of a long-neglected passion to write again. Since then, she’s written a column
for her local newspaper, feature articles for various magazines and curriculum,
and several novels with a dozen more stories eagerly vying for her attention.

When she’s not
reading or writing, Diane enjoys an eclectic taste in music and movies, great
coffee, the company of good friends, and the adoration of a peculiar little
pooch named Darby.

Visit Diane's
website at dianemoody.net and her blog, “just sayin’” at
dianemoody.blogspot.com.

Acknowledgments

With overwhelming
gratitude to my daughter Hannah Moody for the stunning book cover that brought
tears to my eyes the first time I saw it. Thank you for using your God-given
talents to bless this story with a cover so beautifully befitting its subject.
But even more important, bless you for the heart you put into it on behalf of
your grandfather. You’re the best, and I’m so proud of you, sweetie.

As always, many thanks
to my proofreaders—my good friend Sally Wilson, my husband Ken, and the
ever-diligent Old Eagle Eyes himself, Glenn Hale. Dad, not only did you catch
numerous typos, you made sure Danny’s story was accurate—in
Chicago
, at
Northwestern
University
, and all the way to the
skies over
Europe
. He thanks you, as do
I!

To Anita Van Melle for her
expertise making sure I didn’t embarrass my Dutch characters by putting the
wrong words in their mouths
. Bedankt, Anita!

To Melanie Beasley who
likewise helped me with the German language, and to her friend Janne who also
took a look at my Dutch.
Danke, ladies!

To Bob Penovich, for
your tireless dedication to teach the next generation about
Operation
Chowhound
and the many accomplishments of the 390th. Thank you so much for
loaning me your prized copy of
Memories of a Miracle:
Operation Manna/Chowhound
by
Hans Onderwater. Wow, what a gold mine of information! Thanks
also for answering all those pesky email questions I kept sending you. You’re a
saint!

To Wendy MacVicar, for
your friendship and inspiration on so many levels. Thank you for lighting the match
back at the 2011 reunion that sparked this story and gave Anya a voice. How I
thank God for you!

To Bill MacVicar,
Wendy’s father-in-law, who has so willingly served as president of our 390th
Veterans Association for all these years. Thank you for all your hard work and
that tender heart of yours that still beats for freedom.

To Iris Taggart, our
dear friend of so many years. Iris’s husband Robert “Tag” Taggart flew with the
390th, and though Tag died several years ago, Iris has faithfully attended every
reunion. Her contagious passion for the B-17 and the other warbirds of WWII
keeps her busy arranging air shows and inspiring young people to get interested
in aviation through the Young Eagles program. We love you, Iris!

To Ray and Sally
McFalone, thank you for the massive undertaking to videotape interviews with
our 390th veterans. You have given their precious memories new life, enabling
their stories to be heard for generations to come. Your insightful questions
and meticulous editing have produced a beautiful history that we will never
forget.

To my husband and best
friend Ken who quite literally publishes and markets all our books. I couldn’t
do this without you. I love doing life with you more every single day—and then
some. (P.S. My bags are still packed for
Hawaii
, in case you wondered.)

And finally, a special
thanks to my dad, Glenn Hale. I have loved every minute working on this project
with you. Thanks for answering my bazillion questions and always filling in the
gaps with your colorful insight. If money grew on trees, I would have flown us
over to Framlingham to soak up the local flavor and ambience of your memories
there. How fun would that have been? Still, between your many resources and
impeccable, precise memory, I think we did a pretty good job. Thank you for
letting Danny share so many of your experiences. I hope you’re pleased with
him. Thank you for your service to our country and the uncompromised patriotic
spirit that flows so strongly through your veins. I am so blessed, so thankful,
and so very proud to be your daughter. Love you, Dad.

Resources

Eman, Diet with Schaap,
James.
Things We Could Not Say.
Grand Rapids
,
MI
: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994.

Freeman, Roger.
The
Mighty Eighth in Color.
Specialty Press Publishers & Wholesalers, Inc.,
1992.

Ippisch, Hanneke.
Sky:
A True Story of Resistance During World War II.
New York
: Simon & Schuster,
1996.

Kaplan, Phillip, and
Smith, Rex Alan.
One Last Look: A Sentimental Journey to the Eighth Air
Force Heavy Bomber Bases of World War II in
England
.
New York
: Artabras Publishers,
1983.

Onderwater, Hans.
Memories
of a Miracle:
Operation Manna/Chowhound, 29 April – 8
May 1945.
Rotterdam:
Ad. Donker,
1995.

Sanders, Ronald.
Translated and revised by Voyles, Hannie J.
Storming the Tulips.
St. Louis
,
MO
: Stonebrook Publishing,
2011.

The Story of the 390th
Bomb Group (H)
.
Paducah
,
KY
: Turner Publishing
Company, 1947.

Van der Rol, Rund, and
Verhoeven, Rian.
Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary.
New York
: The Penguin Group,
1993.

Van Stockum, Hilda.
The
Winged Watchman.
Bathgate
,
ND
:
Bethlehem
Books, 1995.

WWII: Time-Life Books
History of the Second World War.
New York
: Prentice Hall Press for Time-Life Books, Inc.,
1989.

Wycoff, Johanna.
Dancing
in Bomb Shelters: My Diary of
Holland
in World War II.
Bloomington
,
IN
: iUniverse, 2010.

390th Bomb Group: 50th
Anniversary Commemorative History
.
Paducah
,
KY
: Turner Publishing Company, 1994.

The 1943 Syllabus: The
Yearbook of the Junior Class of Northwestern University.
Chicago
: Students Publishing Company,
1944.

The 1944 Syllabus: The
Yearbook of the Junior Class of Northwestern University.
Chicago
: Students Publishing
Company, 1945.

Online
Resources

The Dead of 7 May 1945.
City Archives:
Amsterdam
Treasures,
Second World
War. Retrieved from:

http://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/english/amsterdam_treasures/second_world_war/doden_op_7_mei_1945/index.en.html

Madison, James H. (Fall
2007). Wearing Lipstick to War: An American Woman in World War II England.
Prologue
Magazine, Vol. 39, No. 3.
Retrieved from:

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2007/fall/lipstick.html

Barris, Ted.(May 2005).
Manna From Heaven
.
Legion Magazine. Retrieved from:

http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2005/05/manna-from-heaven/

Myers-Verhage,
Shelby
. [1995]. Postmarked
from
Amsterdam
: Anne Frank and Her
Iowa
Penpal. Reprinted from
Palimpsest
and used by permission from the State Historical Society of Iowa, as retrieved
from:

http://www.traces.org/anne.html

Operation
Chowhound/Manna: 8
^thAir Force B-17 Food Drop over
Holland
, April-May 1945. [Video
file]. Retrieved from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4utm_gB_zs0

Operation
Manna – 65 Years of Canadian-Dutch Friendship [Video file]. Retrieved from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHFWJ9GkNqE&feature=related

More Than Food: The
Manna-Chowhound Food Drops. Retrieved from:

http://operationmanna.secondworldwar.nl/

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