A FORTRESS AND A LEGACY…MY MEANINGFUL GIFT

What was promised in my last post on this site…has become a reality. The book that I have invested over a half a decade in researching and writing has been released. It is now available at A FORTRESS AND A LEGACY! (http://afortressandalegacy.com/) As the subtitle says, it is truly “The Gift of a WW2 Bombardier’s…

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Knoxville, Winston Churchill and World War 2

Winston Churchill once said; “Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster…

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Cruze, Majors and Lawson, Lift David McMahan’s Spirits!

David McMahon In today’s fast paced (as fast as it can be at our age) world, it is truly heartwarming to see friends and acquaintances rally around a hurting brother. Well, it was not surprising when we saw this happen recently with some East High graduates. Hundreds at least, and probably more, have been humbled…

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Is Rock & Roll Really Here To Stay?

This weekend my wife and I attended a “Doo Wop” concert in Sarasota, Florida. Popular groups, mostly from the 60’s, comprised the Rock & Roll headliners for the raucous evening. It might be a stretch to consider 1500 sixty and seventy-somethings as raucous. Maybe loud, enthusiastic and seated would be more accurate. The groups, the…

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Remembering Chilhowee Park

My memory bank is chock full of vivid memories of times and events at Chilhowee Park.  My guess is that virtually everyone reading this has at least one unforgettable remembrance of this iconic Knoxville landmark. On KNOXVILLE HERITAGE we have included a number of vintage photos of the park and the Exposition Center building that…

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The Football Coach Tennessee Should NOT Hire!

Consider me a loyal Tennessee follower, fan, supporter…et. al.  I have been one since I saw my first game 62 seasons ago. I love Tennessee orange. There are many other colors of orange in college football…Syracuse, Clemson, Florida (YUCK!!), Auburn, Oklahoma State, Princeton (do they still play football there?) etc. …but none can match the…

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Asleep for 68 Years. What a Revolution!

In doing research on a WW2 project over the last 4 years I have repeatedly thought of what it would be like to have pulled a Rip Van Winkle and gone to sleep in 1944 and awakened in 2012.  I wonder if someone in that position would initially be more awed or more terrified. Regardless…

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BUFORD A. BIBLE: Traditional Yet Idiosyncratic Mentor!

We called him Mr. Bible.  Not Coach Bible…contrary to popular lore…although he was.  Not Professor Bible, even though he was that too.  And certainly not Buford…at least not to his face.  Rest assured that, on occasion, players and students alike referred to him as Buford or B.A., but it was always done in private and…

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East High Mountaineers Started Fast and Finished Strong

East High School football results are a distant memory for some and non existent for others.  If you do have an inclination to resurrect a memory or two about the ebb and flow of Mountaineer football over its 157 games in 16 seasons,  a recent article in WWW.KNOXFOCUS.COM will bring a smile to you.  Steve…

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Pictures of the Past

“Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong as its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.” – Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Time truly flies by so fast. It seems like it was only…

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TENNESSEE TRADITION: YA’ GOTTA LOVE IT!

I haven’t lived in Tennessee for almost a half a century…moved away in the dark of night on New Year’s Eve in 1964. My Dad, when asked years ago if he would like to fly in an airplane, said he would…if he could drag one foot.  I guess that’s like me about Tennessee and Knoxville. …

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