‘The Originals’ Book Program in North Carolina on the Horizon?
The WAFS 0f World War II Our Luncheon Topic!
Last Saturday, I finally got to meet Mike McCarthy, the gentleman who very nicely invited me to come to North Carolina in mid-March 2020 to talk about my book The Originals — the women pilots who flew for the U.S.A. in World War II — at the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.
That trip never happened, and we all know why. Thank you Covid 19!
Mike is a volunteer with the Veterans History Museum, located in Brevard, North Carolina. He first tried to book me for November 11, 2019, because he had put together a Veterans Day program featuring military women from the various services. He very much wanted to add the WASP/WAFS and my book, The Originals, to that event.
Sarah and Mike, Garden of the Gods
Covid Interfered Big Time
When I couldn’t do that one because of a scheduling conflict, he invited me and we planned the March appearance instead.— But then Covid happened!!!
Last month, I heard from Mike again. He and his wife, Janis Allen, were planning to come to Colorado Springs for a vacation the first weekend in October. It included a visit to the Garden of the Gods, a trip up Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway, and a timely glimpse of Colorado’s exquisite fall colors. And they asked if they might take me to lunch while they were here.
“We would like to meet you and interview you about your book, The Originals: The Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron of World War II, Mike wrote. “Janis publishes a newsletter for our museum, and we would feature the interview there. Please let me know if this would be agreeable to you.
It most certainly was! And what a delightful conversation we had!
Janis Allen
Janis is a fellow author. Her latest book is “We Shall Come Home Victorious” — Stories of WWII Veterans. Several of those featured in her book are family members. All have a North Carolina connection. Janis gave me a signed copy. All proceeds from the book go to help support the Museum.
I, in turn, gave Janis and Mike a copy of my newest book: Teresa James WAFS Pilot: Gear Up/ Gear Down — a P-47 to Newark.
Mike is a business consultant, and also an author, and he and Janis live in Brevard. “Helping the Museum with projects is my way of honoring my father, John McCarthy, who performed convoy duty with the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. The Veterans History Museum provides ways to honor and remember our veterans,” says Mike about his work there.
Carolina Veterans History Museum Honors Mike
In turn, this what the museum said about him:
“For offering creative ideas and countless hours of dedication in support of our mission; For recruiting a business manager to join our board of directors; For traveling outside our county to spread the word about the Veterans History Museum; For embracing and honoring Korean War veterans in The Forgotten War Remembered; For promoting the museum far and wide through special events such as the book, The Rifle; and For working quietly and behind the scenes in pursuit of these endeavors.”
Neither Mike nor I have given up hope of me eventually doing a presentation for the Museum. With the rise of Virtual presentation technology during the Covid confinement we’ve all experienced, I have been doing more and more book and WASP presentations via Zoom. Having me do a program for the museum that way is looking more and more promising and that’s where we stand now. Not that I wouldn’t like to travel back to the Brevard/Asheville area of North Carolina. My Air Force son was once stationed with the Weather Command in Asheville and I enjoyed several visits to that lovely area.
We shall see. …
[If you’re interested in having me do a virtual presentation on the U.S. women pilots of WWII, please contact me!