The seas were rough that morning 80 years ago. In the early hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944, Sgt. Tom Ruggiero of Plymouth put a paper sack he’d been handed to good use as his Landing Craft Assault (LCA) bounced through heavy waves on the way to Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. “I had thrown […]
Author Archives: Dave Kindy - Independent Correspondent
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Navy veteran who escorted FDR to be honored on his 100th birthday
The scuttlebutt was true: something big was happening on the USS Baltimore. On July 21, 1944, Seaman First Class William “Willie” F. O’Connell watched with awe as President Franklin President Roosevelt was piped aboard in San Diego harbor. The U.S. Navy’s heavy cruiser escorted him on a secret mission to Hawaii, where he conferred with […]
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How the Mayflower II helped mend relations between the US and the UK
On June 8, 1957, the Mayflower II was nearing the end of her transatlantic journey from England to America. Near Bermuda, she encountered a fleet of international warships, which cruised near the full-scale re-creation of the Pilgrim vessel, loudly blasting horns while sailors waved and cheered from the decks. Four American destroyers then approached the […]
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Rekindling the John, Priscilla, and Myles love triangle
Samson and Delilah. Antony and Cleopatra. Romeo and Juliet. John and Priscilla. History is filled with love stories. They feed our fantasies of romance and remind us why remembering Valentine’s Day should be taken to heart. Though largely legendary, some of these accounts of affection are based on fact. Even Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers are believed […]
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250 years ago, Plymouth helped spark the Boston Tea Party
In December 1773, Boston was a tinderbox ready to burn. The Tea Tax implemented earlier that year had the Sons of Liberty group and other concerned citizens up in arms over yet another attempt by British Parliament to usurp their rights as freeborn Englishman. In desperation, they turned to “mother Plymouth” for assistance. Only too […]