Nothing Says "I'm Sorry" like a Coffee Cake

Okay.  So I know I disappeared from the blogosphere for a few months, and I am truly sorry for absence.  I took a few months away from the museum world to student teach, and silly me, I thought student teaching while maintaining a blog would be a breeze.  It was not.  So sadly, the blog was neglected... but now I'm [hypothetically] more educated and have returned with great enthusiasm!  

I'm thrilled to be back at the National D-Day Memorial, and the Memorial has a lot of great opportunities planned this year for you and others to really experience World War II history in meaningful ways.  We have new educational initiatives in place, fresh events, and revamped "oldies but goodies", and I can't wait to share them with you.  But for my first post back I thought I would say "I'm sorry!  Please forgive me!" with a tasty ration-era recipe.

In my absence from the Memorial proper, a great artifact was donated to the Foundation - a cookbook, circa 1943 titled the Victory Cookbook: Wartime Edition.  It is a large volume full or interesting and resourceful recipes.  I'll be turning to this resource often on the blog, but for this week's offering I thought I'd start with something sweet and simple: a "Quick Coffee Cake".  After all, nothing says "I'm Sorry" like a nice, warm, deliciously simple coffee cake. Right?

The recipe, as it promised was easy and quick to pull together and within 40 minutes from start to finish (including baking time) my family was enjoying a thick, moist, and, most importantly, delicious coffee cake.  I have to admit that I was very skeptical of the crumb topping.  I've never made one from actual stale bread crumbs before, but the topping turned out to be delightful.  It was as sweet, buttery, and crumbly as one could hope for on a coffee cake.   This could easily become a "go-to" recipe and was approved by both my husband and finicky toddler.  

So enjoy your coffee cake, and welcome back!  I hope you will continue to enjoy our "Sentimental Journey".

-Megan

Warm coffee cake just out of the oven.  Yum!

Our D-Day Fallen: Capt. Edward A. Peters

Captain Edward A. Peters

Capt. Edward A. Peters served in the HQ Company of 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment of 101^st Airborne Division when he was killed in action on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Like nearly every other paratrooper dropped on D-Day, Capt. Peters hit Normandy far from his intended drop zone. However, he was able to get a few of his men together and reach the regimental objective on D-Day. According to his Silver Star citation, his patrol was attacked by a large force of German troops and his leadership led the patrol out of harm's way.

Like a number of war stories, though, the tale of just how Capt. Peters perished depends on who you ask. The regiment's S-1 (personnel officer) included in his report from D-Day – the segment written around 1430 hours – that Capt. Peters led a patrol of five soldiers to take a German machine gun post. The report concluded that he, along with two of the other soldiers in his patrol, was killed by the fire of that German MG42. The regimental S-3's report confirms this story, noting that a Capt. Moon was to take Peters' place as the commanding officer of the regiment's headquarters company.

However, Capt. Peters' friend Sgt. W. R. Myers wrote to Peters' wife in a September 10, 1944 letter that he had witnessed her husband's death and that it was a German sniper rifle that killed him on D-Day.

Perhaps the confusion stemmed from the uncertainty surrounding Peters' death in the days following D-Day. The initial reports home and Capt. Peters' headstone incorrectly stated his death as June 9, 1944. The later reports corrected the date of death to June 6. His son, Edward A. Peters, III, assumed that the registrars received Peters' body on June 9 and, unsure of his actual date of death, recorded June 9.

Sgt. Myers said that Capt. Peters was “as close to his men as a brother. He always had a cheerful smile, a helping hand or helpful advice for anyone who was troubled...his engaging smile was too strong to be eliminated even by gunfire and death."

Capt. Peters was posthumously awarded the Silver Star on November 1, 1944. This citation includes the correct date for his death, June 6, 1944.

Family Day: A 1940s Festival

This Saturday, travel back in time to a bygone era with music, vendors, living history, games, tours and more!   The National D-Day Memorial presents its 1940s family day festival on Saturday, July 21st from 10AM-5PM, with a full day of World War II programs, activities, and displays! Scheduled activities include a 1940s fashion station, dozens of living historians, artifact displays, posing in your own propaganda poster, period vehicles, homefront activities, face painting, book-signings, craft vendors, and opportunities to meet veterans. More than 40 activity stations are planned, all family-friendly and hands-on.  

Live entertainment will occur throughout the day with guest musicians Rick Dellinger and Keith Campbell providing big band tunes. Karen Nichols will perform jazz selections and Ken and Ally will feature an array of acoustic folk music.  The lawn concert begins at 11am and ends at 3:30pm.



This year the National D-Day Memorial is also hosting Art Beltrone, appraiser and dealer in military artifacts and documents who will give unofficial appraisals of military artifacts and documents.  Bring your favorite military memorabilia and see what it is worth.  (Limited to one per person.)




Food will be available on site throughout the day.  Family Day 2012 is generously sponsored by Woodmen of the World Lodge 175 and the Kiwanis Club of Bedford. Students 18 and under are free.  Adults are $7.00 per person.  All proceeds benefit education initiatives at the Memorial.

So come on out for a day of family-friendly fun this Saturday at the National D-Day Memorial.  I look forward to seeing y'all then.

-Megan

The Two-Piece Swimsuit: Utilitarian Fashion

Clothing fashions of WWII have always been a source of fascination for me, not because I'm a fashion goddess and just have to know every detail of vintage fashions.  Instead, I'm intrigued by the way the circumstances dictate fashion.  Just as rationing affected recipes and eating habits during the war, rationing also influenced fashion to a great degree.   In the 40s, when Americans were faced with fabric shortages, hemlines became shorter, necklines became lower, and outfits became slimmer and more streamlined.  

McCall's Sewing Pattern for a Two-piece Swimsuit, circa 1944

In addition to everyday wear, bathing attire also changed.  For the first time in the United States, the two-piece swimsuit emerged presumably due, at least in part, to fabric rationing.  It should be noted, however, that modesty was still very much in still, so ladies' two-piece bathing suits still covered a far amount of skin.  One thing that is quite noticeable about two-piece swimwear at the time is that few, if any, revealed a lady's belly button!  What tasteful way to introduce the latest in swim fashion while maintaining a proper, lady-like appearance!

  

So next time you head to the beach, pool, or other summer watering hole, think about the history of fashion and the lasting impact of wartime rationing!

-Megan

Ration-Era Recipes: "Sugarless" Ice Cream

Ahhh. Ice Cream - one of my favorite things about summer, and in the midst of this heat wave in Central Virginia, I thought it was appropriate to test out a great ration-era ice cream recipe.  (The recipe was taken from Grandma's Wartime Kitchen by Joanne Lamb Hayes which is an incredible compilation of family wartime recipes accompanied by fun facts about cooking with ration restrictions.)  

Last week we hosted our annual WWII day camp for 4th-6th grade students.  This is part of the reason for my lengthy blog silence as I've been working like a mad women to make sure everything was just right for our campers.  But I digress.... One of my favorite aspects of camp is that we serve ration-era snacks to our campers.  Some snacks are a huge hit (think butterscotch cupcakes) and others receive a less than enthusiastic response (oat sticks for instance).  This go round we served Sugarless Berry Ice Cream, and overall, it was well-liked by our young food critics.  The recipe is incredibly simple - although a little labor intensive - but the results were well worth the work.

Basically you take one can of sweetened condensed milk and mix it with a 1/4 cup lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  Next you puree and strain roughly pint of any type of berry (I used strawberries).  Then you fold in the puree into the milk mixture.  Then, whip 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff and fold that into the existing mixture.  Finally, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and pop it into the freezer for a couple hours.

The result comes out looking like this:

Yum!

I would recommend allowing the ice cream to thaw for a few minutes before scooping or you just might bend your ice cream scoop.  But this recipe is so simple that you could whip it up in a few minutes, set it aside, and enjoy a delicious frozen treat in the sweltering July heat.

Enjoy!

Megan   

References:

Hayes, J. L. (2000). Grandma's wartime kitchen: World War II and the way we cooked.  St. Martin's Press: New York, NY.

WWII in Miniature: Father's Day Event

Here at the Memorial, we're always looking for ways to engage our guests in new ways and to help make history come to life.  Personally, I learn and appreciate history best when I've "experienced" aspects of the era through creative presentations.  So, this weekend we're giving you the opportunity to participate in such an event. 

This weekend, the National D-Day Memorial’s annual “WWII in Miniature” exhibit returns for one day only, Saturday, June 16th from 10AM-4PM – just in time for Father’s Day. This event is a perfect outing for WWII history buffs as it features dozens of World War II model planes, tanks, ships, jeeps, trains, historic figures, and more, all sponsored by the Roanoke Valley International Plastic Modelers Society. The historic models and battle scenes that will be on display are intricately designed and provide a broad perspective on the military during World War II. 

During the event, the public is also invited to vote for their favorite display. People’s choice and best-in-show awards will be presented at the end of the day.  This means that we're counting on your input to determine the best displays of the day.

Not a dad?  Don't worry!  The event is not only for dads; it's fun and educational for the whole family.  Specifically the Memorial will provide children’s activities from 10am to 2pm so our younger visitors can experience WWII history on their terms.  Additionally, in honor of Flag Day (which is June 14^th), the Memorial will have Flag Day trivia and games for children and adults with special prizes for winners.  Regular admission fees apply. Please visit www.dday.org for more information, or call (540) 586-DDAY.

We hope you come and enjoy!

Megan

  

P.S. Don't forget to stop by the Memorial’s gift store and pick up unique Father’s Day gifts including books, pins, shirts, videos, music, D-Day souvenirs, art, and more.  The store also has a selection of Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Marine items for the veteran in your family. 

Our D-Day Fallen: Coxswain Amin Isbir

For over eight years, Eric Montgomery has been on a mission to close the final chapter of his great uncle Amin Isbir’s  D-Day story.  Coxswain Amin Isbir, a member of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion, was reported killed in action on June 8, 1944.  Montgomery questioned his date of death believing that he had been killed in action on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  Isbir’s commanding officer, Ensign Joe Vaghi, confirmed Montgomery’s suspicions. 

Onboard  Coast Guard operated LCI-L 88, Amin and his Company C8 shipmates were being transported along with members of the 5^th Engineers Special Brigade and 1^st Infantry Division soldiers to the Easy Red One sector of Omaha Beach.  During the landing, the ship came under heavy fire, losing one of its two ramps along with a number of the soldiers from the Big Red One.  Beachmaster Vaghi and Isbir were some of the first men down the remaining port side ramp.  A short time later, as they were placing a fallen soldier onto a stretcher, a shell from a German railway gun five miles away landed onto the beach hurling a jeep into the air.  The jeep landed on Isbir killing him instantly.  Ensign Vaghi was knocked unconscious from the blast.  Due to continued hostilities, Isbir’s body was not recovered until two days later and his death was listed as June 8, 1944.   Isbir was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre for bravery and the Purple Heart. 

Isbir’s tombstone in the Normandy American Cemetery and military records listed his date of death as June 8.  Since his death was recorded as June 8, the National D-Day Memorial Foundation did not include him on the Memorial Wall after its initial research (as the Foundation only researched and recorded June 6 fatalities).  In 2009, 65 years after Isbir’s death, Montgomery was able to present the American Battle Monuments Commission with substantial evidence to replace the misdated stone with a corrected one.  During the 2012 D-Day Commemoration Ceremony, the plaque containing the addition of Isbir’s name will be officially dedicated to the Memorial Wall at the National D-Day Memorial. 

The National D-Day Memorial has confirmed 4,413 Allied fatalities on June 6. Of that number, 2,499 were Americans. The National D-Day Memorial Foundation is the only institution in the world to research the name of every soldier, sailor, airman, and coast guardsman killed on June 6, 1944. 

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Special thanks to April, our VP for Operations and Education, for her contribution to this week's post.