THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley


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Present Day

What historical event fascinates you the most? – An interesting question from the daily writing prompt.

My first thought was World War II. And I went back and looked at last year’s answer and I had chosen that also in a post called History Question. It’s a good post because my family was significantly involved in that war both abroad and at home because it affected the families working in the states, many of whom were working in direct support of the war effort. There are several images of the WWII memorial in that post.

That war and 9/11 were probably the two times this country was really united.

I’ll go back to that war another day because the part about history that fascinates me now is our present days.

I think we are partly in the situation we find ourselves in now in the United States is because a lot of us don’t know history. So many of the things happening now have happened before. And that led to some horrible events in the world’s history.

People in power are undermining what we, our parents, our grandparents and their parents built. We have been divided. Fear and prejudice have been installed and brought back out in many. Instead of a President for all, we have one that only pretends to care about his most loyal followers and everyone else is the enemy.

What we do in the coming days, weeks, months and the next few years is going to be a turning point, one way or another. And we oversee that direction. Let’s not disappoint those who gave so much.

Photo by Mike Hartley


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Recollecting

The daily prompt asks – What major historical events do you remember? – I answered this question last year with a number of events in post called Off the Top of my Head being I’m a bit older than some who blog.

It was a pretty complete list of my recollection of the turmoil in the 60s and 70s. As I reread it, I noticed how much it was on death and tragedies.

So here are a few good ones I can recall also from those early days. I remember watching the moon landing on B&W TV. I remember the feeling that Woodstock gave the nation. I remember reading my first issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Others I remember are being afraid of nuclear war. Also waiting in gas lines on odd/even days depending on your license plate. I remember the music of those years getting me through a lot.

View others recollections of historical events


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History Question

What historical event fascinates you the most? – An interesting thought-provoking question from the Daily Writing prompt.

I guess it would have to be World War 2. My father and both uncles were part of that conflict. My father and Uncle Frank were in the Navy. My Dad enlisted about a year before broke out and I believe my uncle Frank went in around the same time.

My Dad was on the destroyer USS Converse in the Pacific. Uncle Frank was on the USS West Virginia when Pearl Harbor was attacked and served on a heavy cruiser after that. If I remember correctly my Uncle Bob was a B-17 pilot or co-pilot over Europe.

All survived in a way I guess. You don’t come out of those situations and not be changed. And having been too young to know them before, all I knew was the after. This was a generation that grew up in a depression era and then through WWII and Korea which my father also served in.

Below are a few shots of the WWII Memorial in Washington DC that I took over a decade ago if my memory is correct. I have some more in my WWII Memoria portfolio for this.

Photo by Mike Hartley
Photo by Mike Hartley
Looking towards Atlantic Pavilion. Photo by Mike Hartley
World War II Memorial and Washington Monument in the background. Photo by Mike Hartley
There aren’t many Veterans of this war left. Photo by Mike Hartley


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Infamy

December 7th. My parents would be disappointed if I didn’t try to carry the significance of this day in history. Uncle Frank was on the deck of the West Virginia at Pearl Harbor and then served on a heavy cruiser. My father joined the Navy the year before Pearl and served on a Destroyer in the Pacific and also in the Korean War. Uncle Bob flew B-17s over Europe in WWII.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, and to all of your generation. Photo by Shirley Hartley

I don’t just remember members of this generation on this day, but all who have served to protect many freedoms we take for granted today. Ones that people gave their lives to protect. As the saying goes, “those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.”

Let’s remember what we were fighting against and what we stand for. Hopefully, it will help us make good choices for our elected officials to avoid those past tragedies.

Freedoms are just as much in jeopardy today as they were then. Just watch out for the direction of the threat.