Jean and John’s Road Trip August 1964

Keep the Spirit of 45 Alive! August 8 – San Jose

Click here for MORE Pictures from 2009 Event

Saturday August 8 from noon to 5pm    Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive!” San Jose – History Park

“Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive!” is the theme for the third annual Day of Remembrance, hosted by History San José and Digital Clubhouse Network and presented by Brookdale Senior  Living.  On Saturday, August 8 from noon to 5 p.m. History Park at Kelley Park will again set the stage for an afternoon commemorating the end of World War II as well as honoring the legacy of America’s ‘greatest generation.’

“Veterans are invited to join us to record their personal stories and history,” said Robert Corpus, National Youth Director of the Digital Clubhouse Network, Silicon Valley and Stories-of-Service.  “This is a day for families to share memories that had historic impact.”

Edith Shain, the nurse from the famous “VJ Day at Times Square” photograph which became the touchstone for the end of the WWII, will again be a special guest.

Music from the 1940’s provided by the big band sounds of The Swing Solutions and the Singing Blue Stars from the USS Hornet. World War II living historians, World War II Research & Preservation Society, will set up a bivouac camp and share what daily life was like for the soldiers. They will create a field hospital, as well as other living history wartime vignettes.  Also, the 1924 “Birney” Trolley will be available for rides, and there will be a victory parade at 1 p.m.

“Hearing the personal stories, and talking with the people who experienced historic events, is what makes this a special day,” said Melissa Johnson, Curator of Interactive Media at History San José. “A Day of Remembrance is a wonderful way to celebrate the people that served aboard and at home during World War II.

As part of the effort to preserve the legacy of World War II’s veterans, young people across America  are invited to help local seniors in their communities submit written testimonials, photos, audio and video to the stories-of-service.com website.  This effort will be launced on August 14, 2009 in New York City’s Times Square, with a re-enactment of the famous “V-J Day Kiss” photo, featureing Edith Shain and Hollywood legend Tony Curtis. This effort will continue through August, 2010, culminating in the 65th Anniversary of the end of the War.  For more information visit spiritof45.org

Day of Remembrance is the perfect backdrop for the exhibit Home Front, inside the Pacific Hotel at History Park.  Home Front portrays life during World War II in Santa Clara Valley and how it influenced every part of life at home.  The exhibit will depict the stories, artifacts and ephemera of an era when the comics were as important as the news, and victory gardens were as significant as ration books.

Personal reflections of “The Day the War Ended” will be emceed by Janice Edwards, local broadcast celebrity. Community members are invited to share their memories and feelings of the day World War II ended

Youth from the Digital Clubhouse Network will be screening the documentries they have made in the Pacific Hotel and collecting information from visitors for future Stories of Service projects.

A Day of Remembrance and Reflection is for families and people of all ages.  Admission is free. City parking is $6 and Kelley Park is on VTA route 73.  History Park is located at 1650 Senter Road, between Keyes and Phelan, at Kelley Park. Gates to History Park open at noon.

This year’s Day of Remembrance is presented by Brookdale Senior Living, Also sponsoring are Digital Clubhouse Network, History San José, U-Haul and Southwest Airlines.

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About History San José:

History San José (HSJ) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the continuing history of the Santa Clara Valley.  HSJ manages one of the largest and most comprehensive regional history collections in the State of California, from 1784 Spanish governmental records to twenty-first century Silicon Valley technology.

History Park at Kelley Park, located at 1650 Senter Road, is a 14-acre park featuring a town atmosphere, with free rides on historic trolleys, exhibit galleries and 27 historic buildings, including a Museum Store and O’Brien’s Café, with an ice cream parlor and candy store.   History Park is open Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon – 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.

History San José 1650 Senter Road     San José, CA  95112       408.287.2290

www.historysanjose.org

About the Digital Clubhouse Network:

The Digital Clubhouse Network (www.digiclub.org) is a nonprofit organization that was created as a a result of a 1996 NASA research project to develop innovative ways of using technology to build community.  Its programs have received international recognition, including three Smithsonian medals and extensive media coverage.  STORIES-of-SERVICE is a national initiative that seeks to mobilize communities across America to preserve the memory of their local unsung heroes.

www.stories-of-service.org

About Brookdale Senior Living:

Atrium San Jose is a Brookdale Senior Living community. Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is the leading owner and operator of senior living communities throughout the United States. The company owns and operates independent living, assisted living, dementia care, skilled nursing and continuing care retirement centers. In all, Brookdale operates 550 communities in 35 states with a capacity to serve approximately 52,000 residents, as well as operating a dedicated rehabilitation and therapy group serving its communities and residents nationwide. Brookdale is committed to providing exceptional living experiences within properties that are purpose-built, designed and operated to help residents live well while achieving an Optimum Life®. Brookdale Senior Living communities provide a daily experience of programs, services and care that are unique as a result of the collective talents and inspiration of the residents, their families, and its associates – demonstrating Brookdale’s promise of “Our People Make the Difference.” Brookdale is a publicly-traded company (NYSE: BKD). For more information, visit http://www.brookdaleliving.com. The Atrium San Jose is located at 1009 Blossom River Way in San Jose, Calif. For more information, call 408-445-7770 or visit http://www.theatrium-sanjose.com

The Sara Vanity

I have always wanted a vanity…decided this years Birthday gift to self would be one…and creating space for it…space is luxury.

Craigslist, $85 dollars – delivered same day from Sonoma! Priceless.

Gatsby Picnic on Evening News

Love me some Mike Rowe and Gatsby Picnic!

One Way Home WWII Film

Doing Make-up and Wardrobe for a WWII Film – “One Way Home”

Life on the set…vintage…modernism….Actress Rachel Amanda Bryant

More Photos

Eagle Field Fly In June 13, 2009

Eagle Field Fly In June 13, 2009. What an amazing event!  It felt like I walked back in time.  I met so many great people including several WWII vets – like Big Boy. Big boy because he was a 6′ fly boy which was really tall for the time.   I am going to come back and share the stories he told me when I have more time…

Also, won the Swing portion of the Dance contest with Nate! he says I handle like a Ferrari. Cash Prize even. Thanks to Woody and James for being my military escorts (And Ya, there is definitely ghosts out there). I also won a rotary phone in the silent auction…was bidding head to head for it as well as a 8 piece mess kit which I backed off on once I heard it was going to a good home.  This couple was hosting a dinner party for some WWII vets and was going to serve dinner with it.

Rosey Lakos Photography; got the amazing candid photo of me…really captures my spirit. Army Nurse Corp Major, smoking a cigar, Whiskey in the purse hanging with the boys.

More Photos

Information About Eagle Field

My Family History: My Father

My father, John  was born, March 10, 1928, in San Francisco, California (he would have been 81yrs old this year) .  His parents rented a house in Daly City for 8 years. When he was 8 years old the bought a house for $2,000, which needed some fixing up.  He was worried if the Easter Bunny wouldn’t find his new house.  John lived there until he was 18 years old.

He was 9 when the depression started.  Times were hard but they were able to make ends meet. His mother did go to bed many nights hungry to feed the children. Their home was always open to many children, Oma Jean did foster about 5 children who needed care.

They had the corner grocery store back then, and the owner would allow them to purchase food, and put it on the tab to be paid later. He remembers getting a new pair of shoes, but they were not new they were used.

Friends of his Dad’s would gamble to make money to buy food. Then they would give it to his mom to cook a big pot of meat and potatoes that they would all enjoy together. What ever was leftover they ate the rest of the week.

They would gather on Saturdays to play cards with their friends for entertainment as a common affair.

John was the youngest in the neighborhood, they called him ‘Baby John’. The children often gathered to play hockey with their roller skates. Wearing metal wheel skates, the street would turn white from the metal wheels wearing down the street. Sometimes their Dad would take them to Coyote Point to skate at the roller rink. [ Note: I remember playing with the same metal skates that strapped over a shoe when I was a kid]

His brother, Bernard included him with whatever they were doing, he’d always be following his brother around. John even got to go to dances when he was in grammar school, he learned how to dance at a young age.

His Dad purchased a Model A, which he would use for transportation to and from work. He bought a Chevy for $400 right before the war. His Mom, Jean never learned to drive, the only time she tried she ran into a pole. Her dream was always to ride on a bike too.

Jean was a good cook, and she was famous for her butter almond cookies and Botoletter ( a Holland pastry filled with almond paste).

As a family the would often take a drive to fly kites at the beach or in the hills of Daly City. His Dad would make the kites out of silk or newspaper. And it was glued, with a flour and potato mixture.

Going camping was something the family enjoyed. There mother would send the boys off fishing with a safety pin and stick, and they would catch fish.

He did some archery in grade school, and had always wanted to play football but he didn’t think he was big enough. Until one summer when he went off to a ranch in Lakeview, Oregon, and worked for the summer weighing only 130lbs and when he came back he weighed about 185lbs, and nobody recognized him. He did play football and received his varsity sweater, he was also on the swim team, and played the drums in the school band.

In 1941, his brother Bernard was over seas in the war so just him and his parents were home. John courted a girl all through high school, but it didn’t work out. He did go to the Senior Ball with a girl, double dating with a friend – Bob. Bob has always been a good friend since kindergarten and still is a special friend of the family.

He remembers when his brother was busy with a paper route and he couldn’t go to camp so he got to go in his place. They had horse back ridding and baseball. And one time he was playing baseball a guy said ” let’s go snipe hunting, have you ever been snipe hunting?”. John said “no”, so they gave him a gunny sack and sent him up to the mountains with a flash light and he sat there and sat and sat…they had tricked him.

In 1937 the family walked over the Golden Gate Bridge on opening day.

John’s brother got out of the service after serving for 4 years. About the same time John graduated from high school. John almost didn’t get to participate in the graduation ceremony because he was sick in bed for 3 months before graduation.

John and Bernard’s folks were very strict, but they learned to respect them the way they were. It’s been said that they were never spoiled.

John had bought a 49 Chevy and after graduation he and his parents took a trip back east, through Denver and Los Angeles. Putting 50k miles on his car in one year.

To be continued….

Taken from my nephews Josh’’s School Project.

My Family History: My Grandmother 1895-1991

Bastiaantge Verweerd, my Oma, (grandma in Dutch), was one of 10 children born in Dorderecht, Holland. She did change her name to Jean.  Jean was the only member of her family who did come to the states. She came as a governess with a wealthy Indonesian family to New Orleans. The moved to Missouri for a short time and then went to Santa Barbara, California.   Going through customs at Ellis Island was made easy for Oma, by means of this family paying her way. They returned to India, but she remained in America and moved to San Francisco where she took at job as a governess for the  Marston family (wife to the opera singer Lawrence Tibbett).

Oma enjoyed opera’s, playing bridge, and being a housewife.  After being married for 2 yrs, they started a family. Two sons – Bernard and John.

Bernard a healthy child growing up and enjoying the movies with the stars in the 40’s Big Band era. After graduation from high school he went into the Navy. In Auto- Gio, electrical training school, in St. Louis, MO. Here he met a lady at the U.S.O – Betty Wagner which was soon to be his wife. She came to San Francisco to be there when he came home from duty in the South Pacific. They went back to St. Louis to get married in 1946. After living in San Mateo for a short time they moved to Fresno, California, when Bern worked as a store clerk.  They had one child, a son, Barry, who also served in the Navy.

My Family History: My Grandfather 1884-1959

Taken from my nephew’s Joshua Carlsons school project:

John Corneles Janssen, my father (Opa; Grandpa in Dutch to Josh), and I visited Bemmel Holland in 1998.  In visiting and talking about the old days, he asked if they would undertake the family ties. ..

Bernardus Liborius Janssen, my grandpa (great-Opa, known as Bernard was one of 11 children, all born in Holland. Bernard Janssen arrived in the United States in 1911 with his brother Marinus. They migrated to San Francisco, California. Marinus was a baker. He died in his early 20’s. Marinus was living in an apartment above the bakery, and the gas light was left on, which fumigated and killed him.

My grandpa worked on the 1915 San Francisco World Exposition.

He did return to the old country in 1917, because he was disgusted with America and our working conditions being such a fast pace.  That was during World War I.  Instead of purchasing land here in the Sunset District in San Francisco, he wanted to see his family.  He took 4 bicycles with him as gifts for his cousins, staying with two cousins who were sisters. One was a Catholic School teacher and the other took care of the house. The teacher received a medal from the Pope for 33 years of teaching.

They lived in a Villa of a famous castle Huize Bemmel which is still standing today.  The Castle was taken over by the German’s during the occupation.  The doors were taken off and used for trench covers in hiding the German’s.

After Bernardus visited Holland he did come back to the U.S. bringing back another brother Engel (known as Uncle Betus) to Patterson, New Jersey. He stayed there and painted the sculptures in the Catholic churches.  There is still a distant relative of his in Florida.

Bernard did go to work in the trade in which he was trained in Holland.  He went to a trade school in Holland, where he learned carpentry. Back then it wasn’t that common for all children to be able to go to trade school, or college. He also recieved 2 medals in Greek wrestling.

He then met his wife, Bastiaante Verweerd at the Holland Club. The Holland Club was a place where the Dutch met to socialize. After knowing each other for only 3 weeks they got married, in 1922. The wedding was performed at the Justice of the Peace, and the reception at a friends house. They purchased a home in Daly City, which needed a lot of remodeling, but he was very qualified for the job. And also contracted for various carpentry jobs througout South San Francisco.

There was a time when there wasn’t much work when Bernardus went to work for the WPA. He cleaned all the posion oak out of the parks and burned it, he was one who never had a problem with getting poison oak. And he would only come home on the weekends with a bag of grocery’s.

Living in the city of San Francisco the commuting was done with the city’s transportation, the street car and cable cars. He would load his heavy tools on the boys coaster in the morning, pull it up the hills, park it at the corner store, and then back again at the end of the day.

He then worked for Pan American Airways in the carpentry shop until 1946. Retiring at the age of 62 because of heart conditions. Per doctors suggestions he relocated to the country, Sonora, California – where he built a home, complete with windows, doors and cabinets. Completing it in one year, manufacturing it all himself. His two sons, family and friends helped – making it a wonderful place to remember. They lived there 13 years until he died in 1959.

Side Note:  1959 the year my Ranchero was made…the Ranchero was also my dad’s best friend from kindergartens favorite car (a much later model).

Remembering the 65th anniversary of D-Day

EVENT INFO:

Please join the National Park Service and the Coast Artillery Historical Association for a two day event to remember the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
Meet World War II soldiers & experience history first hand. See demonstrations depicting the daily life of soldiers who defended San Francisco Bay during World War II. Battery Chamberlin is located at the north end of the Baker Beach parking lot. Parking is limited. We suggest carpooling. Additional parking is available on Bowley St.
For information please call 415-561-4323 or visit the Visitor Center located in the Presidio Officer’s Club, Building 50, on Moraga Ave, near Arguello Blvd. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9AM to 5PM.
Date: June 6-7, 2009
Location: Battery Chamberlin, Baker Beach, San Francisco
Time: 11:00-3:00

OPEN EVERY FIRST WEEKEND OF THE MONTH

SPECIAL GUEST:

PFC Russell Hardeman

The men talked to him about his battlefield experiences…I asked if he met any lovely ladies…he smiled ‘yes, a British Nurse Betty Chamberlin…we took a walk out to a castle you couldn’t get in but we laid in the grass for a while’…she appreciated him for being a perfect Gentleman. He liked the weekends off and spent time in Paris and London where he said there were so many orphans and he did what he could sharing his chocolate.  They also had Whiskey rations on Fridays and on a empty stomach he got a bit tipsy. He went to dances but was not a dancer.  He liked the rations from the Canadians’ canned beef and potatoes.

PFC Russell Hardeman

Jeanavive is the Army Nurse on the Left

Another Blog about the Day