By Brad Dison John Joseph was born in Neptune City, New Jersey on April 22, 1937. He was raised by his parents, Ethel May and John, and sisters June and Lorraine. June was 18 years his senior, and Lorraine was 15 years his senior. June aspired to become a famous entertainer. In the 1930s, June … Continue reading The Chinatown revelation
By Brad Dison The morning of September 16, 1976, was chilly in Yerevan, Armenia. The streets were busy with commuters heading to work and other various destinations. The city used trolleybuses powered by electric lines above the highway to transport the masses of people to their destinations. Windows wrapped around the entirety of the upper … Continue reading Shavarash and the Trolleybus
By Brad Dison At about 7:00 p.m., on Sunday evening, December 18, 1921, Harry, who was the secretary to the Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Commissioner and purchasing agent for the police and fire departments, drove his car to the home of Ike Wilkerson, a police detective who lived just a few blocks away. The pair planned to … Continue reading Column: Rabbit hunt gone wrong
By Brad Dison On Friday night, October 14, 1955, Lubbock, Texas would have been the place to be. Rock and Roll was in its infancy, and Bill Haley & the Comets were there at the very beginning. Bill Haley and his band were a hot commodity in the music industry after they released a song which went … Continue reading One night with Billy Haley and The Comets
By Brad Dison On June 29, 1994, a 45-year-old pilot took over the controls of a BAe 146 jet airliner as he often did from the senior pilot, Flight Captain Graham Laurie. The pilot had been flying for about 30 years. In the mid-1960s, he began taking private pilot lessons and earned his pilot’s license. He soon joined the Air … Continue reading A narrow escape
By Brad Dison In 2000, writer/producer Allison Gibson had an idea for a television sitcom which was set in Houston, Texas. The lead character, Sally, was a wisecracking single mother of three children, each of whom had various emotional issues. Sally’s husband had left her for another woman who, because of their connection to the same man, … Continue reading A sitcom called Sally
By Brad Dison This past week or so, we have all been overwhelmed by information on the royal family due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. This brought up the memory of the mostly forgotten Emperor Norton I whose full name was Joshua Abraham Norton I. The emperor’s reign began in September 1859 and lasted … Continue reading The death of Emperor Norton I
By Brad Dison Carmel-by-the-Sea was, and remains, a picturesque oceanside one-square-mile town 120 miles south of San Francisco. At the time of the 1986 mayoral election, the town consisted of 4,825 residents. Carmel had “rigid preservation and development rules,” which frustrated many of the residents, including Junior. For example, the town council refused to grant a permit for … Continue reading Junior’s Run for Mayor
By Brad Dison Red was small for his age, smaller than the other kids in his neighborhood of Yorkville, New York. In the first decade of the twentieth century, all young boys were expected, with few exceptions, to join the neighborhood gang. To be exempted and respected, a boy had to have a good excuse such as … Continue reading Red and the Bully
By Brad Dison Johnny Allen was born on November 27, 1942, during World War II. During his teen years, Johnny occasionally got into minor trouble, but nothing too serious. In 1961, Seattle policemen were investigating a rash of home burglaries in which about $2,500 worth of goods and cash was stolen. On Tuesday night, May 2, Johnny and … Continue reading Johnny Allen’s experience
By Brad Dison Daniel Lawrence “Dan” Whitney was born in Pawnee City, Nebraska. He grew up in a church-going family. His father, Tom, held many jobs. Tom was a school administrator, entertainer – he played guitar for the Everly Brothers – a preacher, and he raised pigs, horses, and cattle. Tom left for work … Continue reading Creation eclipses creator
By Brad Dison In the summer of 1893, Katharine Lee Bates was teaching English at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Katharine and some of the other teachers decided to visit the summit of Pikes Peak, some 12 miles away as the crow flies. Katharine had learned all she could about the peak’s history before … Continue reading A sudden flash of inspiration
By Brad Dison A New York television show was due to begin broadcasting in two weeks. In the 1950s, television was broadcast live before a studio audience. There was no editing. The production had one serious problem; they were having trouble casting an actress to play the lead character’s wife. They had considered numerous actresses but could not find … Continue reading Ms. Cotter’s character
By Brad Dison Lieutenant Frank Wead was one of the best-known “fliers” in the early years of the United States naval aviation service. In 1912, Frank, then sixteen years old, entered the U.S. Naval Academy. Two years later, much of the world was engaged in “the war to end all wars,” World War I. United States President Woodrow … Continue reading Frank’s flight
By Brad Dison Roy Sullivan was born in 1912 in Greene County, Virginia. Beginning in 1936, Roy spent his whole working life as a park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Friends described Roy as being “as gentle and upright as a person can be. He pays his bills, loves his family, goes to church, has never … Continue reading Roy’s attractiveness
By Brad Dison On the morning of November 10, 1980, Daniel Irvin Jr.’s plane landed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. With no one to pick him up from the airport, Daniel hailed a cab driven by 38-year-old Gene Phillips. Daniel asked Gene if he was familiar with Castlewood Terrace. Although Gene had been a taxi driver … Continue reading Cab tab
By Brad Dison In the Fall of 1861, Robert Smalls became the pilot of the CSS Planter, “the most valuable war vessel the Confederates had at Charleston.” Robert, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, had been piloting vessels in Charleston harbor for several years and knew it well. The Planter was “a high-pressure, side-wheel steamer, 140 feet in length, … Continue reading Robert’s Run
By Brad Dison In 1936, 29-year-old James “Driftwood” Morris began his career as a teacher and struggled to connect with his students, especially on the subject of history. He used every technique he had learned while earning his teaching degree at Arkansas State Teachers College, but he was unable to keep his students interested. At first, he … Continue reading Driftwood’s Battle
By Brad Dison Erik Weihenmayer liked to test his limits. He was an angry, rebellious kid who eventually turned his fury into competitiveness and personal achievement. He joined his high school’s wrestling team and, to everyone’s amazement including his own, he became a champion. He became a skydiver, skier, long-distance biker, marathon runner, kayaker, and … Continue reading Erik eyes Everest
By Brad Dison Mary and her husband, George, attended a dinner party at Anna’s home. Anna’s husband was away on business so she convinced her brother, Hall, to be her escort at the formal affair. It was a big to-do. All of the men wore dress suits or tuxedos. The women wore “dinner dresses,” which differed from evening party … Continue reading A flight of fancy
By Brad Dison On the night of April 23, 2006, David Kotkin, Cathy Daly, and Mia Volmut went to dinner after work in West Palm Beach, Florida. David was a multimillionaire and Cathy and Mia were his assistants. At about 11:15 pm, after they had finished dinner, they left the restaurant and walked into the parking lot. They … Continue reading Thou Shalt Not Steal
By Brad Dison Paul was born in Quincy, Illinois, in 1915. Five years later, Paul and his family moved to Davenport, Iowa, where Paul’s father became a candy wholesaler. In 1924, Paul and his family moved to Hialeah, Florida, a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. By this time, Paul’s father was a partner in the Tibbets … Continue reading Paul’s payload