What an incredible treasure! My grandmother, who turns 98 next month, is learning something new about her own mother who died 73 years ago. A relative recently discovered these more-than 100-year-old school books that belonged to my great-grandmother! Schooling in the early 1900s concluded with 6th or 7th grade. Throughout her adulthood, it turns out,…
Tag: history
WATCH: Golden Hour on the Texas State Railroad
Click here to take a trip on a historic railroad through the Pineywoods of East Texas.
WATCH: The Eiffel Tower, a timeless landmark
Click here to take a tour of Paris’ most iconic sights aboard a Seine River cruise.
WATCH: Cruising Paris’ famed Seine River
Click here to take a tour of Paris’ most iconic sights aboard a Seine River cruise.
WATCH: Lane Luckie reports from France on 80th anniv. of D-Day
Click here to watch Lane’s live coverage of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France.
Fmr. East Texas nurse, 103, recalls treating soldiers wounded on front lines of D-Day
At 103, memories of serving during one of modern history’s defining moments are still a source of pride for Lucille Wright, who now lives along the shores of Toledo Bend Reservoir in rural Sabine County. She served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II from June 1943 to February 1946, achieving the…
WATCH: Organist plays in Paris’ oldest church
Click here to listen to an organ playing inside Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
WATCH: Inside La Madeleine Church
Click this video to explore the striking architecture of Paris’ La Madeleine Church.
German soldiers captured in World War II held in East Texas POW camps
As the unprecedented D-Day invasion in France got underway in June 1944, German prisoners of war were arriving in Texas by the thousands. According to the Texas Historical Commission, more than 50 thousand German soldiers were held at nearly 70 prisoner of war internment camps in Texas during World War II. Many were captured in…
Longview HS Lobo Choir group takes final bow after week in Paris, France
The Longview High School Lobo Choir’s week abroad is winding down with a second day of immersion in the history and culture of France’s capital city. On Monday, June 10, their final day in France, the choir performed at La Madeleine Church, known for its atypical neo-classical architecture style that mimics the Pantheon. Originally intended…
Longview HS choir performs in D-Day Memorial Parade in Normandy
On Saturday, June 8, the Longview High School Choir made a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery, a day after their scheduled performance during a commemoration ceremony was canceled due to an unplanned visit by U.S. President Joe Biden. Students walked through the rows of marble grave markers and reflected on the lives lost in…
French village salutes fallen WWII hero who trained in East Texas
80 years ago, soldiers from Texas known as the ‘Tough Hombres’ arrived in the town of Périers during the Battle of Normandy in northwest France. This week, this small town of two thousand residents will honor their liberators from the U.S. Army’s 90th Infantry Division with several memorial events. A focal point of the tribute…
Longview Choir performs in D-Day remembrance ceremony at Brittany American Cemetery
On their third day in France, the Longview High School Choir had a deeply moving opportunity to perform on hallowed ground. The Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial is the final resting place of 4,404 American service members, most of whom lost their lives in the Normandy and Brittany Campaigns of 1944. On Thursday, June 6,…
WATCH: A solemn visit to Normandy’s Omaha Beach
Click here to see the final resting place of more than 9,000 American war heroes.
Tyler’s Camp Fannin trained soldiers for front lines at Battle of Normandy
Over the course of World War II, more than 200 thousand military personnel trained at Camp Fannin, located between Tyler and Winona, before seeing combat on the front lines in both Europe and the Pacific. Today, little evidence remains of what was once a sprawling, 14 thousand acre complex dedicated to the training of infantry…
7 things to know about the D-Day invasion
World leaders and even a choir from Longview High School will be attending the 80th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. Here are 7 things to know about World War II’s pivotal Battle of Normandy: 1. D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion in military history. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed…
WATCH: Arromanches, site of D-Day’s artificial harbor
Click here to see how the site of the Gold Beach invasion and a critical Mulberry harbor marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Artifacts from Battleship Texas flown to France for 80th anniversary of D-Day
80 years after the U.S.S. Texas bombarded the Normandy coast in support of the Allied invasion on D-Day, artifacts from the historic battleship will return to France as part of the commemorations planned on June 6. In 1944, the U.S.S. Texas provided critical support for the landings at Pointe du Hoc and at Omaha Beach….
Understanding the D-Day invasion, Battle of Normandy
On their second day abroad in France, the Longview Choir group continued their immersion in history with visits to Arromanches-les-Bains, Gold Beach, Saint Lo and Bayeux. The students from Longview visited the D-Day 360 Museum in Arromanches. Here, the choir members will got an overview of the history they will explore in the week ahead….
Longview High School choir embarks on trip to perform at D-Day observance in France
The Longview High School Lobo Choir is setting out on a trip of a lifetime after being invited to perform at the 80th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. On Monday, the group of 28 students and seven chaperones, led by director Melody McMullen, left Longview High School on a charter bus…
WATCH: Sailing on Charleston Harbor
Click here to enjoy a sailing tour of one of America’s most historic cities.
WATCH: Germany In Focus coverage from Cologne & Munich, Germany
Click here to watch my special reports from Germany this Fall.
Texas orders review of efforts to educate K-12 students about atrocities of Holocaust
A newly-enacted Texas law calls for a survey of the state’s 1,200 public school districts to review efforts to better educate students about genocide and the Holocaust. On September 1, HB 3466 took effect, directing the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC) to review school districts’ implementation of requirements related to observances of…
Diedrich A.W. Rulfs: the German immigrant who became Nacogdoches’ master architect
Few names are as widely known in Nacogdoches as Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, or Thomas J. Rusk. But there’s one lesser-known figure whose lasting impact is plainly visible in every corner of the city – Deidrich Anton Wilhelm Rulfs. “As far as local history is concerned, belongs even higher than these people,” said Nacogdoches…
WATCH: British colonial fate decided at Fort Frederica
Fort Frederica, on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, was established in 1736 to defend the British colony against Spanish attack from Florida. Click here to take a tour.
East Texas pastor guided spiritual healing after America’s first mass shooting in a church
As gun violence in America has many churches taking a closer look at security plans, one East Texas pastor has a unique perspective on the matter. Brother Norman Crisp’s congregation at First Baptist Church in Daingerfield knows tragedy firsthand. On June 22, 1980, a gunman opened fire there, ultimately killing 5 people and wounding 10…
Spanning eight decades of history, Hoover Dam remains a modern marvel
Spanning the border of Nevada and Arizona, Hoover Dam was completed in 1935. It regulates river flow, provides flood control and provides water storage supplying water to portions of California, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico. It can produce some of the largest quantities of electricity in the U.S., generating about four billion kilowatt-hours of energy annually….
Reflecting on 20 years since the Shuttle Columbia tragedy
East Texas will never forget February 1, 2003. 20 years ago, a national tragedy unfolded in our backyard and East Texas showed the world what it means to help neighbors in need. East Texas has vowed to never forget the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 crew. They’ll never forget the 25,000+ volunteers who came from around…
For centuries, the Sallier Oak has symbolized survival in southwest Louisiana
In Southwest Louisiana, the names Audrey, Rita, Laura, and Delta are notorious — the powerful Hurricanes that wrought devastation and erased livelihoods for so many. But there’s one name associated with resilience in the face of Mother Nature’s fury: Sallier. The stately Sallier Oak, an enormous live oak tree named after one of Lake Charles’…
Preserving a piece of cultural history
What a great honor to have my photo of the 1803 Pacale-Roque House in Natchitoches, Louisiana featured in the Winter issue of 64 Parishes Magazine! The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities put together a nice feature on the restoration and relocation of this architectural and cultural treasure. Built by a man of color who purchased…
WATCH: Poland’s Valley of Palaces and Gardens
Click the video below for a brief tour of several castles in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland.
WATCH: Future American President visits Tyler’s Polish sister city in 1800
Jelenia Góra, Poland is quite proud of a future American President’s visit in the year 1800. Click here to watch.
WATCH: Inside Europe’s finest example of Baroque architecture
The Basilica of the Assumption in Krzeszów, Poland is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. Click here to take a tour.
Remember the sky on 9/11
It’s been 21 years since 9/11. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is asking people to post a picture of the sky above their head today. It’s inspired by the clear blue sky that was present in New York City and across the country on September 11, 2001. As we vow to never forget…
‘Stumbling stones’ serve as persistent reminders of Germany’s dark past
Every time I’m in Germany, I’m struck by the sheer number of Stolpersteine or “stumbling stones” I come across. These mini memorials throughout Germany are placed outside the last known residence of Holocaust victims. 75,000 plaques have been installed in sidewalks so far. These are real people, each with a story to be remembered. Not…
Lane Luckie 