Harold Addison Scribner - Radioman, Third Class, US Naval Reserve

 Today is May 27, 2024. Memorial Day.

Congress passed a bill in 1971 that was signed into law to make Memorial Day always on a Monday so the Federal holiday could be a three-day weekend. I've read as well that Memorial Day parades are far less common these days than they used to be and that people now view Memorial Day as a day to honor all dead, not just those who fell in service to our country. I figure that if men and women are willing to put their lives on the line to preserve the best of our nation, then at the very least, they deserve their own day of honor, though they're deserving of being remembered the other 364 days as well.

Below are pictures of my Great Uncle, Harold Addison Scribner, who served in the Navy and my grandfather, Harvey E Scribner, Jr, who served with the Flying Tigers in WWII. 

Uncle Harold fought in the Pacific Theater in WWII as a radioman in the Navy. He didn’t make it back from WWII - Pacific theater. I never got the chance to meet him. 

On the night of Feb 16, 1945, the American naval vessels were in the area of Corregidor Island outside of Manila. Uncle Harold was on a large landing craft support vessel known as the Mighty Midgets. Around 230 AM, his craft was struck by a Japanese torpedo and started taking on water. A minute later, they were hit a second time and had to abandon ship.  Of the roughly 75 men serving on board, only 16 survived.  

Two large landing craft support vessels were sunk that night. Another was rendered dead in the water in a battle that lasted only a very short while but most likely seemed an eternity to the men in the water struggling to survive.

Like so many other brave sailors, Uncle Harold went down with his ship in February 1945. For several months, he was listed as Missing in Action since his shipmates saw him in the water after they were hit, but not after.  

 

This is my grandfather, Harvey E. Scribner, Jr. (or, as we called him, GG). Like his ancestors six generations earlier did for the Revolutionary War, he and his brother served the American cause.)

An Army man, he served with the Flying Tigers in WWII in the Pacific Theater. Though a changed man upon his return, he at least came home from the war. 

My grandmother, who moved in with her in-laws while GG was in the war, told me once how she remembers hearing a blood-curdling scream from Mamaw (GG and Harold's mom, Ella Scribner) one day after the mail came. Because he was still classified as MIA, she'd received the letter first from his shipmates rather than from the War Department itself.  

Nanny (my grandmother) said that kind of scream could only mean one thing.  

Uncle Harold was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, and his name is on a monument at Fort William McKinley in Manila, Philippines.

Harold Addison Scribner: Radioman Third Class, U.S. Navy Reserve

Remember him. Remember his sacrifice.

Side note: A few years ago, I found the website www.mightymidgets.org, which is the website of the organization created to remember and honor the men who served on the Naval landing crafts during World War II.  I contacted them and sent them a few pictures of Uncle Harold.  They asked my permission to forward my Email and pictures to some of the men who served on his same boat.  To my utter surprise, I received a letter not long after from someone who served with and remembered my uncle.  

Such brave men.

Side note #2: Learn more about Uncle Harold's Mighty Midget. 

Silver Stars, Commanding Officer, LT. Harold W. Smith USNR (16 February 1945 at Mariveles P.I.) - Purple Hearts (25-WIA, Mariveles, P.I.)

LCS(L)(3)-1 Class Landing Craft Support (Large)(Mark3):

Laid down, 2 June 1944, at Albina Engine and Machine Works Inc., Portland, OR.

Launched, 20 July 1944

Commissioned USS LCS(L)(3)-49, 31 August 1944, LT. Harold W. Smith USNR in command

During World War II USS LCS(L)(3)-49 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
LCS(L)(3) Flotilla One, CAPT. R.E.Arison USNR;LCS(L)(3) Group One, LCDR W. I. Hunt, USNR;LCS(L)(3) Division Two and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates

Manila Bay-Bicol operation Subic Bay and Grande Island, 31 January 1945 Mariveles-Corregidor, Mariveles Harbor, 14 to 16 February 1945

Final Disposition, sunk, at Mariveles Harbor, Leyte, P.I., 16 February 1945

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

My thanks go out to all who have served our nation, and my heart goes out to all those who face their losses firsthand. 

Take care, 

- Heather 

Find me online! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Heroes of Grant's Crossing Series

Wayward Guilt - Safe Now - End of a New Life - (Nov 25) Available for Pre-order

 

Grant's Crossing Romance

Don't Call Me Sugar - (July 25) Available for Pre-order 

Harold Addison Scribner: Radioman Third Class, U.S. Navy Reserve

Today is May 29, 2023. Memorial Day.

Congress passed a bill in 1971 that was signed into law to make Memorial Day always on a Monday so the Federal holiday could be a three-day weekend. I've read as well that Memorial Day parades are far less common these days than they used to be and that people now view Memorial Day as a day to honor all dead, not just those who fell in service to our country. I figure that if men and women are willing to put their lives on the line to preserve the best of our nation, then at the very least, they deserve their own day of honor, though they're deserving of being remembered the other 364 days as well.

Below are pictures of my Great Uncle, Harold Addison Scribner, who served in the Navy and my grandfather, Harvey E Scribner, Jr, who served with the Flying Tigers in WWII. 

Uncle Harold fought in the Pacific Theater in WWII as a radioman in the Navy. He didn’t make it back from WWII - Pacific theater. I never got the chance to meet him. 

On the night of Feb 16, 1945, the American naval vessels were in the area of Corregidor Island outside of Manila. Uncle Harold was on one of the large landing craft support vessels known as the Mighty Midgets. Around 230 AM, his craft was struck by a Japanese torpedo and started taking on water. A minute later, they were hit  a second time and had to abandon ship.  Of the roughly 75 men serving on board, only 16 survived.  

Two large landing craft support vessels were sunk that night. Another was rendered dead in the water in a battle that lasted only a very short while, but most likely seemed an eternity to the men in the water struggling to survive.

Like so many other brave sailors, Uncle Harold went down with his ship in February 1945. For several months, he was listed as Missing in Action since his shipmates saw him in the water after they were hit, but not after.  

 

This is my grandfather, Harvey E. Scribner, Jr. (or as we called him, GG). Like his ancestors six generations earlier did for the Revolutionary War, he and his brother both served for the American cause.

An Army man, he fought in the Flying Tigers in WWII in the Pacific Theater. Though a changed man upon his return, he at least came home from the war. 

My grandmother, who moved in with her in-laws while GG was in the war told me once how she remembers hearing a blood-curdling scream from Mamaw (GG and Harold's mom, Ella Scribner) one day after the mail came. Because he was still classified as MIA, she'd received the letter first from his shipmates, rather than from the War Department itself.  

Nanny (my grandmother) said that kind of scream could only mean one thing.  

Uncle Harold was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and his name is on a monument at Fort William McKinley at Manila, Philippines.

Harold Addison Scribner: Radioman Third Class, U.S. Navy Reserve

Remember him. Remember his sacrifice.

Side note: A few years ago, I found the website www.mightymidgets.org which is the website of the organization created to remember and honor the men who served on the Naval landing crafts during World War II.  I contacted them and sent them a few pictures of Uncle Harold.  They asked my permission to forward my Email and pictures on to some of the men who served on his same boat.  To my utter surprise, I received a letter not long after from someone who served with and remembered my uncle.   Such brave men.

Side note #2: Learn more about Uncle Harold's Mighty Midget. 

My thanks go out to all who have served our nation and my heart goes out to all those who face their losses firsthand. 

Take care, 

- Heather 

Find me online! 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Bookbub - @GrantsCrossing

Follow me on Facebook

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

What I'm reading - May 2022

 What books are you reading right now? Do you have a preferred genre? What is it? Romance? Historical fiction? Science fiction or fantasy? Literary fiction?

I'm reading a handful of books right now in a variety of genres. While I'm writing my own book, I'm also reading books by other authors because it's a treat to read something that's already written and edited. For some, I'm just reading them for pleasure, but for others, I'm reading them in exchange for a review. When you're as voracious a reader as I am, you need to save some pennies. There are a handful of sites out there that allow you to hook up with authors or publishers to receive a free eBook in exchange for writing a review. It helps generate buzz around a book ahead of publication or just to help boost its public profile. 

These are a few I've used to expand my literary horizon (or feed my addiction, however you want to look at it.)

NetGalley - BookSprout - Wolf Pack Reads - Hidden Gems 

A lot of authors call for ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) readers as well. 

While I've read a variety of genres in exchange for reviews, sometimes it's just fun to read something just for fun. 

These are a few books I'm currently working on - some for fun, some for reviews. The fun thing about reading for reviews though, is I can pick the books I want, so all of these are fun. 

Flared Stiff - Cozy Mystery - Julie Anne Lindsey - one of my absolute favorite authors whom I've gotten to know in real life (Fellow Buckeye!). This is book 5 in her latest cozy mystery series - the Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries. (Clyde is the cat on the cover!) I'm just starting this book. Her books are always terrific whodunnits that are filled with likable and quirky characters that keep me guessing until the end. 

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby - OMG - this is raw and gritty and violent and emotionally taxing and it's so beautifully written. I could just cry at some of the descriptions. S.A. Cosby is an incredibly talented writer. Please check out his books. This is the first one I've read and I've already picked up Blacktop Wasteland (thriller). So good. I'm on chapter 26-27 - a little past halfway through.

This is another cozy mystery I just picked up. I'm only about a chapter in and it seems fun so far. It's set in an equine rescue center. The book is by a new-to-me author, Amber Camp. I love a good mystery and despite being light, I love a good cozy! The book is expected to hit the shelves in November and is already getting excellent reviews. 

This is a biography of Abdallah Azzam, a global jihadist. It's a well-written, albeit densely packed book when it comes to details. There's a lot to take in, but it's super interesting. The length and subject matter factor into the fact that this one will take me a while to finish, but that's ok. I look forward to working my way through this one. 

So this is what I'm up to. How about you? Have you read any of these? What are you reading these days? 

Take care and happy reading!

 - Heather 

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Memorial Day - Veteran's Memorial and Museum 5K

Below are pictures of my grandfather, Harvey E Scribner, Jr, who served with the Flying Tigers in WWII and his brother, Harold Addison Scribner, who served in the Navy. 

Uncle Harold didn’t make it back from WWII - Pacific theater. I never got the chance to meet him. 

Within the next couple of weeks, I’ll be participating in my first 5K since lockdown. I really want to get back into these every month. It’s a slow start up since I haven’t been running. Eventually I want to get back up to another half marathon (Cap City Half would be awesome! Such a fun race.)

This is a virtual 5K that I’ll be walking/jogging between now and the end of the month in support of veterans. It’s being put on by the National Veterans Memorial and Museum - their Virtual Memorial Day Race.

My thanks go out to all who have served our nation and my heart goes out to all those who face their losses firsthand. 

Take care, 

 - Heather 

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Review - The Man From Darke County

This book was awesome! 

Have you read The Man From Darke County by N. Sullivan? If you haven’t, pick it up today and read it this week. It’s a fun, super quirky, well-written detective novel that touches on a bit of the paranormal. And, it’s set right here in Ohio.

Last summer, I just wanted to read a few pages so I could reference this book in my own book that I’m writing and two hours later, I’d read the whole thing. I couldn’t put it down it was so much fun to read. 

The Man From Darke County was an enjoyable read that did not at all go a direction I expected it to go, which is probably why it was such fun. 

A detective, deemed crazy by his fellow policemen, is pulled off suspension to join in with a police detective from a neighboring county filled with a most unusual populace. 

Be warned: there’s a lot of snark in the dialogue which is part of what appealed to me. Anytime an author can fill a character’s dialogue with copious amounts of sarcasm, I’m a happy camper. 

If you like detective novels and are looking for something a little different, I highly recommend you read this book. 

As for me, I’m looking forward to reading the sequel!

Find N. Sullivan online at Amazon - Patreon - Twitter 

If you’re unfamiliar with Patreon, as I was, it’s a digital subscription service that allows you to support your favorite indie authors with their audio stories, podcasts, behind the scenes footage, and all sorts of other fun content. You’re welcome to support at a variety of levels established by the various hosts. I encourage you to follow the link above and learn more. 

Read my original Goodreads review.

In the meantime, thanks and happy reading!

     - Heather 

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Book Mail - L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón

It’s always a good day when I receive book mail. Today’s book is L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón, author of Esperanza’s Box of Saints. It’s an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) I received thanks to a book giveaway via Goodreads. The book itself is slated to hit the shelves in September. 

I always love to receive an ARC as it makes me feel like I’m an insider getting a sneak peek of some really terrific upcoming books. OK fine. So I’m not really an insider, but it’s certainly fun to get them early. 

L.A. Weather is the story of a prominent Mexican family whose parents plan a divorce after 40 years of marriage making their 3 grown daughters question themselves about their own relationships. Per the write-ups I’ve seen, it promises to be well-written story with bits of humor thrown in along the way. 

I can’t wait to read this one! 

Happy reading! 

     - Heather

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Review - Garrett Valor Series

These are so much better than the Harlequins I read in high school!

Julie Anne Lindsey is one of my absolute favorite authors and I'm currently in the point of pre-ordering every book she says is coming out because I know it's a guaranteed good story. I first came to know her as Bree Baker, her pseudonym for the Seaside Cafe cozy mystery series and yes - I'll probably post something about each series because that's how I roll. But, the stories are all fun, well-written, filled with fun, lovable, and quirky characters. As for the whodunnits? Well, they're not given away until she's ready to give them away. Just what I want in a cozy mystery. And yes, I have book #6, Partners in Lime (Barnes & Noble - Amazon) pre-ordered and know she's working on Book 7 which will, sadly, be the last book of the series. (Come on, Everly and Grady. Snap to it)

Because I know she's a good mystery writer, when I learned she also wrote Romantic Suspense novels for Harlequin Intrigue, I just had to read them and they did not disappoint.

Yeah. I'm hooked.I'm especially hooked on series of books that gives a full book to each member of the family. In the case of the Garrett Valor series, each Garrett brother is working on law enforcement, usually being brought into each others cases to offer up support. 

There are actually four books featuring the Garrett Brothers, so I recommend reading them in this sequence: 

1. Federal Agent Under Fire - Blake, an FBI agent, hunts down a serial killer, protecting Marissa Lane along the way. 

2. The Sheriff’s Secret - This follows West, the town Sheriff, as he tracks down someone stalking his former girlfriend. 

3. Shadow Point Deputy - In this book, Cole, a deputy working for his brother, West, follows the clues and protects a witness from a criminal that just might be a dirty cop. 

4. Marked by the Marshall - In the fourth book of the series, Ryder, the U.S. Marshall of the family, is in pursuit of a serial arsonist who is now targeting Ryder's ex-fiancée.

All the books are great reads with believable characters and the women who are in danger aren’t all the types who whine or constantly fail to follow basic instruction. No - they’re all smart, strong, have common sense, are independent thinkers and totally fall for the Garrett brother who’s assigned to protect them. Heck, if the Garrett brothers existed in real life, you'd fall for them, too.

I loved getting to know the whole family - even Uncle Henry, though I hear, as a paramedic, he's not going to get his own book. Life can be so unfair sometimes. He still gets to save the day in a couple of books.

The stories are fun - believable, suspenseful, action-packed and also quick reads because you can’t put them down! Sleep is overrated anyway.

Julie Anne Lindsey has two other Harlequin book series that follow families of law enforcement professionals (Heartland Heroes) or military veterans working security (Fortress Defense).

Julie Anne Lindsey's books can be found in stores and online wherever you buy your books. She has published under several pseudonyms. They are Julie Anne Lindsey - Bree Baker - Jacqueline Frost - Julie Chase - but all her books can be found on her official website.

Already available for pre-order is a new cozy mystery series set to debut this fall. Burden of Poof will be the first of at least eight Bonnie and Clyde mysteries that I can't wait to read.


Happy Reading!

        - Heather


Twitter - @GrantsCrossing

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown

Grant’s Crossing

I’m happy to say that my first novel, Grant’s Crossing, is really coming together. At over 18,000 words so far, I think it’s safe to say that my story and her characters are developing quite nicely. 

This past week, I’ve had a couple of rough days at my day job because I’ve awakened early in the morning with a great idea in my head that I just had to write down. I started writing and then, all of a sudden, a few hours had gone by and it was time to get ready for work! Who needs sleep, anyway, right? 

While writing more chapters and developing my characters, I’m also still working on how to describe the book itself. Like the story, that’s a work in progress, too! 

Here’s what I have so far. Bear in mind, I may change this 50 more times between now and publication, but I think this is a great start. 

I’ll start with the short version.

Grant’s Crossing

A woman in need of answers

A man living on the edge

A town in need of hope

And the longer version...

A journalist who relentlessly pursues the truth still can’t answer the one question that matters to her the most. 

An EMT who dedicates his life to helping others yet still lives his own life on the edge.  

A small town hit hard by addiction still needs that one catalyst that can bring them hope. 

So what do you think? 

Happy Reading! 

        - Heather

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing 

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown - for this and all my book reviews

Welcome to Grant's Crossing!

Hello! 

I'm Heather and I love to read. Thanks to the pandemic, I've been reading a lot more than usual, especially with being furloughed from my job. 

During those 8 long weeks, I read like it was going out of style. Mostly mysteries, but also some classic American lit, fantasy, current events, history, romance, you name it. And yes. I started to read some romance novels! My favorite two are Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras and Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas. Both are nice stories without any real unwanted drama. They're filled with likable characters and the best part? They each have a happy ending. Can't go wrong! Definitely what the doctor ordered during these difficult times. 

Michonne, my current editor. She loves everything I write as long as I keep refilling her food dish.

While on furlough, my mom challenged me to write a book. I had read one particularly bad romance (Not included on my Goodreads page!) and sarcastically asked her, "Seriously - how hard could it be to write one of these?!". Well - her response was simple. If they're so easy, write one yourself! 

Uh...um... ok? Uhhhh...OK! Challenge accepted! 

And with that, Grant's Crossing was born! I started by creating a town and making a list of characters I thought would be fun to include, though mostly by title - diner owner, bar owner, shopkeeper, primarily female lead, primary male lead, etc etc etc. This was fun!

After that, I started drawing out the town square, but also figuring out where it was. I wanted a small town in Ohio, near a body of water and near real towns and cities. 

After a few days, my characters started developing names and bits and pieces of background stories. 

From there, the actual story started to reveal itself. 

I started writing and now I have a prologue, my opening scene. I don't think this is going to be a romance though because it turned out to be darker than originally envisioned, but I'm good with that. I like it a lot and I definitely like where it's going, though I'm not yet sure where that'll be. 

The story is leading me. I'm just the one taking notes. 

Regardless of where this goes, I really look forward to bringing the town, and its residents, to life.

As I go along, I plan to introduce you to some the characters in Grant's Crossing as they develop and promise to keep you updated with my progress on the actual writing. 

I was challenged on June 10. Today is June 21 and I have a 600-word prologue. No idea how long it will be when it's all said and done, but I feel great knowing I've moved beyond the first sentence! 

Until next time, thanks very much and happy reading! 

 - Heather 

Please follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook! 

Twitter - @GrantsCrossing 

Instagram - @GrantsCrossing 

Goodreads - H.M.S. Brown - for this and all my book reviews