Seaman John Ballenger by Richard D. L. Fulton Four years on the Saratoga John Ballenger’s adventures aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga, the sixth ship in the Navy that had been named after the 1777 Battle of Saratoga – which marked a turning point in the American Revolution – began in 1960 when he sought to avoid…

by Priscilla Rall Oscar Sykes was born in 1916 in Catoctin Furnace to William and Carrie Ann Stackhouse Sykes. His father was a lumberman from Canada whose own father was killed by a falling tree while working as a lumberjack. Oscar was one of three sons and two daughters. William died in 1919 when Oscar…

by James Rada, Jr. James E. Shankle James Shankle of Woodsboro began life behind the eight ball, as they say. He was born in Frederick on November 21, 1925. “My mother abandoned me on the streets of Frederick,” Shankle said. “I was found by a policeman and taken to the hospital.” The police officer took…

by Buck Reed In last month’s article, I used the term “throwing tricks.” This in no way made me popular with my colleagues in the food service industry and may have confused a few of the many fans of The Supermarket Gourmet. So, I wanted to take a moment to express my absolute respect for…

by Jim Houck, Jr. Lance Corporal Paul Joseph Humerick U.S. Marine Corps Born at Annie M. Warner Hospital in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in June of 1947, was a son to Paul E. and Ida G. (Brawner) Humerick. They named him Paul Joseph and gave him the nickname “Sonny.” Paul and Ida took Sonny home to Emmitsburg,…