My Portfolio

April 1, 1944 14,900 feet over the English Channel and climbing                Sunlight suddenly brightened the interior of the bomber. After what seemed like hours of climbing through the wet murky clouds of springtime England they had broken out into scattered sunshine. There were still wisps, patches, and sometimes full-blown clouds...

409th Bomb Squadron 93rd Bomb Group Hardwick Army Air Base Somewhere in England   April 1, 1944             Lieutenant Ed Robbins sat with his head cocked to one side listening intently to the thunder of the two big Pratt & Whitney radial engines out on the wing to his left. The...

    SO BRIEFLY AN EAGLE     PREFACE               Since I was only ten years old when he gave his life for his country my memories of my brother Rudy during his early years are part reality, part myth, and part stories I was told about him by my...

On the road…again!Afghanistan to ZambiaChronicles of a Footloose ForesterBy Dick Pellek    Stand Your Grounds (Opinions Count, But Facts Matter)   It was an innocent remark.  Our house guest suggested that our morning coffee was too strong because we used too many scoops of coffee grounds.  We like strong coffee and...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Can We Remember?  Do We Remember?  Should We Remember?   People who think often about the past engage in subconscious peeking into their personal histories.  They see flashes of happy times, stressful times, sad times, times...

I started at Comprenew, an electronic and data security non-profit in September 2013 doing sales. I was responsible for contacting people, companies, organizations, to solicit their old electronic devices for recycling. About 2 years into the position, my job began to change to more community outreach. One of the outreach programs...

Few things in life are more valuable to a family than an elder's life lessons and experiences. Most family members realize this and have every intention of one day taking time to have that special "legacy talk." Unfortunately, because of life's distractions and the convenience of social media, that day rarely...

stone of salvation desire for relationship fear - confusion of future direction- looking at determine future found truth was not in my business contacts and my relationships were superficial   my moment of pause was reaching end of rope and doing a google search for church - this was also one...

What a beautiful time of year to spotlight Leray and Linda Peacock Warren.  Leray was born in his grandparent’s home in Salem on February 11, 1932.  His parents were Wm. Owen and Ruth Stacy Cloward Warren.  He was delivered by Dr. A. L. Curtis.  Linda was born on March 31, 1943...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Nairobi Bombing in 1998   Many years have passed since Al Qaida pulled off the attempted bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.  They didn’t manage to bring down the embassy building but they did...

“There’s spalling on one of the camshaft lobes,” the mechanic said matter-of-factly.  He understood that he was dealing with a buyer-seller situation and what he was saying was a huge stumbling block in the path of closing the deal and that a poker face was in order.   The owner of the...

Cornflowers blooming, field corn tasseling, crisp evenings.  A time of year to be relished.  I was an Educator . . .   September . . . the beginning of another school year, a fresh start, a rebirth of hope.  A panoply of young people and children, some eager to learn, some...

If you've ever binge-watched a show on Netflix or any of the other platforms, you know how the first episode compels us to watch the next until the end of Season 1.   When it comes to telling your life story, why not conceptualize in the same way? After all, you...

This month we would like to spotlight Paul and Mary Jo Tervort.  Paul was born on June 20, 1935, in Spring Lake, Utah in his parents' home.  He said at that time their home was the closest one in location to where the Payson Temple is.  It is still standing and...

Saturday, September 10th, 2016: I'm consumed by the various TV specials about the 9/11 tragedy. I'm drawn to switch channels back and forth to watch the docudramas about the attack on the twin towers and flight 93. Christine arrives from her errands and quietly sits on the couch next to me....

Do you want to know why some people,when the conversation turns to flying,enter into an almost rapturous state;their eyes a’gleam like an Old Testament prophet and begin saying such things as “Reached out my hand and touched the face of God?   Why will they spend fifty dollars to fly a hundred...

                                                                         SPAHN RANCH                          ...

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Incoming Tide   There is no telling by looking around you whether or not the tides matter to most people you talk to in the tiny enclaves surrounding Chincoteague Bay, Virginia. To be sure, the watermen...

Herman Henry (Hank) Thiessens By Golden V. Adams, Emeritus AGR Note: In the last HTFA Heritage Matters, many of the challenges Hank faced in his early years were revealed.  He triumphed over them in the remaining years of his life and, as one of his nephews, Daniel Sheldon, expressed upon receiving...

A lady who has given many hours to Salem Days is Lorraine Underwood.  Lorraine was born in her parent’s home in Payson, Utah on March 30, 1935.  She just turned 81.  Her parents were Byron and Edna Hill Gale.  She was the second child born to them; the first was a...