American Legacies Organization, Inc.

By Susan Hopkins

I stood in a small Irish cemetery. The weather was unusually warm for Ireland. The sun shone brightly, and there was not a trace of the common soft Irish rain in the air. The grass grew very high, uncut for months, a traditional Irish custom I later found out, to help preserve the natural feel of the setting. The tombstone listed the names of distant relatives I had only discovered a year earlier.

Genealogy

Connie Sychowski

Editor Genealogy Corner

When growing up all holidays were special ones. The family would always gather at our home, all of dad’s children present and accounted for. It was just a special time for him to take a break from his busy schedule and make time for his family. BBQs and watermelon, I can almost remember the smell of my dad cooking London broil on the grill.

Red Velvet Cake

Legacy of Alice DeLuca nee Held

Grandview, Indiana

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons cocoa

2 oz. red food coloring

2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon soda

Earthquake Cake

Legacy of Polly Mazariegos nee Wagaman

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 cup margarine or butter – 1 stick

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup chocolate chips

Copyright: Bill Hawksford

In 1948, much to Billy’s consternation, he was wasting away his valuable young life performing dull uninteresting menial tasks at Catterick camp in Yorkshire.

Composer Unknown

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5
inches.

That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used?
Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US Railroads.

Why did the English build them like that?

Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

Why did "they" use that gauge then?

Author Unknown

If I could, I'd enlist today and
help my country track down those responsible for killing thousands of innocent people in New York City and Washington DC.

But, I'm over 50 now and the Armed Forces say I'm too old to track down terrorists. You can't be older than 35
to join the military.

Written by Ernst Goth

My Grandfather only dreamed of becoming a mathematics teacher. But life does not turn out as one hopes. On June 6th 1944 Oberst (Colonel) Ernst Goth found himself the commander of the German sector now known to history as "Omaha Beach!" Below is his story on the invasion in Normandy June 6th, 1944.

Copyright: Bill Hawksford.

In 1948 there was a shortage of troop ships, and the soldiers in Egypt became aware that their National Service would be extended for a period of time. As a result Billy endured an additional 6 months in the desert counting the days until he was in civvy street and no longer playing silly buggers in the army.

Author: Dale "Mad Dog" Messmer