Robert B. O’Connor is the author of the extraordinary new WWII novel "Jeep Show – A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge." His previous book was the non-fiction "Gumptionade – A Booster for Your Self-Improvement Plan." Two radically different books, both about morale.

As a young man, Robert was Phi Beta Kappa at Kenyon College, a marketing executive at Procter & Gamble, then co-owner of an advertising agency. By his own account, he took a hard fall.

As he was helped up off the mat, Robert came across a quote from the nineteenth-century British biologist Thomas Huxley: “Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.” Robert wrote Gumptionade to help himself and his readers recognize what needed to be done in their lives, and how to do it.

In 1967, promoter and impresario Jim Hetzer, the inspiration for the protagonist in "Jeep Show," convinced Oxydol detergent to sponsor a circus. The result was a marketing disaster, humorous in retrospect.

In 1944, Hetzer enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the Morale Corps as an Entertainment Specialist. He was attached to a Jeep show squad in the European Theatre of Operations.

Jeep shows were small variety shows done for combat troops in forward areas too dangerous for the USO or the Red Cross. Hetzer often worked with Private Mickey Rooney.

Jim Hetzer’s story inspired O’Connor to write Jeep Show, now a BookLife Editor’s Choice selection. Kirkus reviews wrote: “It seems odd to call a World War II novel 'delightful,' but that's exactly what you get with O'Connor's mix of history and fiction as battles rage on and enlisted men entertain the troops.”

In this episode, we revisit the tragic car crash of Fred Duesenberg, co-founder of the luxury car brand Duesenberg. On July 2, 1932, Fred's life was cut short in a devastating accident on a Pennsylvania highway. We explore the events leading up to the crash, its aftermath, and how it impacted the future of the Duesenberg brand. Tune in for a fascinating look at the life and legacy of Fred Duesenberg. Joining me is Spencer Simpson from the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor Museum and Ray Witkowski author of “Fred Duesenberg’s Final Journey.”

http://www.lhhc.org

https://books.google.com/books/about/Fred_Duesenberg_s_Final_Journey.html?id=6pE60AEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description

On this special 20th episode, I invited back several familiar faces to join me and discuss how they became interested in History and why History is so important. Elizabeth Shope from the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Sarah Goodman from the Drake well Museum, Corey Adkins from the Great Lakes shipwreck museum and Rob Hilliard author of " A season in the Allegheny" and " In Freedoms Shadow".

As one of the most iconic monuments, Mount Rushmore, carved from South Dakota granite, draws more than 2 million visitors each year. I'm joined by Kaylynn Howard to explore the history and purpose behind this massive portrait of former presidents.

On this episode we explore four toys that were invented purely by accident. These toys include the Slinky, Silly Putty, Play-Doh, and the Super Soaker. Thanks to the inventor’s that had an open mind and realization that their mistakes might just be useful our History has been graced by these timeless toys!

Arlington National Cemetery, located in Arlington, Virginia, has a rich and poignant history. It began as the estate of George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted grandson of George Washington. The estate was called Arlington House. Freedman's Village was an important settlement established during and after the American Civil War. Located in Arlington. The village was established by the U.S. government as part of a broader effort to assist newly freed slaves transitioning from slavery to freedom. It was part of the larger Freedmen's Bureau initiative, which aimed to provide relief, education, and employment opportunities to freed people.Dr. Allison S. Finklestein serves as Senior Historian at Arlington National Cemetery. She earned her Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she also studied historic preservation. Her first book, "Forgotten Veterans, Invisible Memorials: How American Women Commemorated the Great War, 1917-1945", was published by the University of Alabama Press in 2021 and released in paperback in September 2023. It won the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference's 2022 Arline Custer Memorial Award for best book. From 2017 to 2018 the Arlington County Board appointed her as the Chair of the Arlington World War I Commemoration Task Force.

Show notes at

Historyfromthehomestead.com