soniaworldhistmyp4's Space

Story Corps Assignment

1. Find 2-3 stories on Story Corps that you think are particularly interesting.

http://storycorps.org/?s=mount+rushmore&post_type=post

http://storycorps.org/listen/stories/wayman-simpson/

2. On your own blog, briefly explain your interest in these stories. How could they change our perspective on history?

In the first story, I was intrigued by credit being put to a name used for such a recognizable display.  It reminded me of the other day in History class when we were talking about the anonymity, as it were, of the men in the National Iwo Jima Memorial (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/National_Iwo_Jima_Memorial...; I also appreciated it because I believe entirely that credit should go where it is due.  This story may change our perspective on history, or, in this case, this landmark of St. Rushmore, because I for one never knew that someone could get dust in their lungs from carving the side of a mountain.  I thought it was particularly noble that he (Luigi Del Bianco) carved Lincoln's eyes, yet didn't brag about doing so.  That Del Bianco also had wanted to make a bust of his daughter, Gloria, caught my attention because my great-aunt makes busts of people's heads, too.

I had searched for the second story, about the Korean war, because I've been watching M*A*S*H(Synopsis: The staff of an army hospital in the Korean war find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation. -http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/), an old TV show recently and wanted to learn more about the war we had against North Korea.  From Wayman Simpson's recollections, I realize that I had never heard of this Tiger Death March.  Although it sounds small compared to other such instances, what with nearly one hundred deaths, the situation itself sounded terrible.  Being in constant worry of being shot, and having to get water from eating snow another POW had on their back sound unfathomable.  I just wanted to get this out there because I'm not sure many people are aware of its occurence.

3. Who will you interview? (you can list more than one person) What period of time will you ask about? (you can list multiple possibilities)

I will interview my zaide, or grandpa, Steven. 'Zaide' is 'grandfather' in Yiddish, and that's what my cousins and me and my siblings call him.  He's my dad's father.  I think I'm going to ask him about the September flight on the eleventh that crashed into the Twin Towers.  I know that he was on the same plane, but on the flight before it, and beyond being extremely grateful, I'd like to understand how he felt when he heard the news, and what he was doing, and if he knew anyone on the flight. 

To Posterous, Love Metalab