Seventy-five years ago this week, Dale Christensen, born in Iowa, lost his life in what is now Papua New Guinea, not far from Aitape. It happened during the Battle of Driniumor River, which took place between July 10 and August 25, 1944. The Medal of Honor citation says that he died in Dutch New Guinea, but […]
The Grave Of Wladyslaw Szpilman, “The Pianist”
Władysław Szpilman (December 5, 1911 – July 6, 2000) was a Polish pianist, a classical composer, and a Jew who survived the Holocaust. He was also the subject of one of my favorite films, The Pianist. Directed by Roman Polanski, the 2002 film is based on Szpilman’s autobiography and shows us his life in Warsaw […]
Photographer Mathew Brady’s Grave In Washington D.C.
On February 27, 1860, while on a visit to New York City, Abraham Lincoln walked into the Broadway studio of photographer Mathew Brady and posed for a picture. For many Americans, this photograph, taken the same day as Lincoln’s important Cooper Union speech, would be the visual introduction to the man who later that year […]
The Path to Bonnie Miller’s Grave
Being now in my early 40s, and having spent a chunk of my life working and traveling abroad, I’ve walked a lot of paths. Some I’ve come to know well, and have long since given up the need for a map. In Bangkok it is the route from Khao San Road to the food court at […]