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#22/52: Wild West Hotel, Nebraska

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1800's Western Hotel
1800’s Western Hotel

During Pioneer Days in Palisade Nebraska I found this beauty of a hotel. Not sure when it was built, but the locals I talked to thought it was sometime in the 1880’s.  It now houses JD Photography and part of the the Bostock Exhibit photography display of glass prints from the late 19th century.

Hotel Porch circa 1880's
Hotel Porch circa 1880’s

If these walls could talk what would they say about the people who stayed in this hotel? Cowboys, adventures, pioneers, politicians, or even outlaws and rustlers most likely passed through here. Some might of even stayed a while and visited the saloon across the street, which is still standing.

Processed in Lightroom 4, sepia preset with vinnette

Honoring My Dad, an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper

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My Dad was a two time veteran, first on a destroyer in World War Two and then later when he served in the 508th Airborne Infantry as part of the 82nd Airborne Division.

82nd Airborne Paratrooper Division Training 1951, Ft Benning

On this Memorial Day weekend I find myself going through my Dad’s military photos and paperwork. Unfortunately his World War II records and US Army 82nd Airborne Veteran desktop flag. American Monster Projects (AMP) is veteran owned and operated. The AMP family has served for generations and uses this tradition to make products geared to fellow veterans and people who are proud to be American!

ORDER US Army 82nd Airborne Veteran Desk Flag HERE

However, I do have his records and articles from his second enlistment in the Army Airborne during the 1950’s including paratrooper training photos from the 1951  508th Airborne Infantry division.

I found the family photo albums when my Mom died in 2011, many I have never before, nor any of the articles. I’m in the process of scanning and restoring the photos I inherited.

I also found his original Airborne Creed, I should frame it like this one.

The Army Airborne creed is near and dear to all 82nd Airborne veterans. Find Army Airborne gifts and remember Airborne All The Way
ORDER an Army Airborne Creed framed print

I hope with this post maybe someone will remember, have memorabilia, or even the WW II personal items of Leo Thomas Tyrrell. His nickname was “Tiny Terry the Terrible” during his time on a destroyer in the European and Pacific theatre.

According to his discharge papers, Leo T. Tyrrell attended training at TIC Fort Benning, GA and QM School Fort Lee, VA between May 1951-Jan 1952.

He completed the Basic Airborne and Parachute Packer and repairman courses as well as Basic Military Training.

Along with the photos were clippings of many training airborne maneuvers between 1951 and 1953 including the biggest maneuver in U.S. history  Operation Longhorn.

This military exercise at Fort Hood Texas involved The 508th Regimental Combat Team. Over 3,089 troops dropped as part of an Army exercise also included the 82nd Airborne in a make-believe war involving over 100,000 military personnel over a 17 day period. 

Order a Vintage Army Airborne print

Over 20,000 civilians either participated as their towns were invaded or watched maneuvers, unfortunately just like in real war there were two fatalities and 221 were injured.

Below is a photo of my Dad, he’s inside the glider so it doesn’t do much good but I love the glider, someone told me they were left over from WWII

Cargo Glider at Fort Hood 1952
Cargo Glider at Fort Hood 1952

Dad was also stationed at Fort Bragg and Camp Drum NY, where he participated in Exercise Snowstorm at Snow Ridge ski resort near Turin New York.

He was honorably discharged as a Private First Class on August 17th, 1954. It appears he was attached to the 623rd Quartermaster Company as his most significant duty assignment.

PFC Leo T. Tyrrell 1952

Leo Thomas (Terry)  Tyrrell born 1925, died 1995

Miss you Dad, wish you had been around to see my kids grow and your grandsons become U.S. Marines. You would have loved the US Army Airborne Christmas ornament I created below.

UPDATE: 4/14/2014

I was recently contacted by a fellow Blogger who is documenting her family history and genealogy. Her Dad John G Hopkins was in the 508th with my Dad and there is a photo of the plane with the all the men sitting in front of it. My Dad is in the photo!! I think I have it narrowed down, he is either 4th from right on top row, or 4th from right on the bottom row.

82nd Airborne 508th before leaving for Operation Longhorn, much like Jade Helm
82nd Airborne 508th before leaving for Operation Longhorn

Related 82nd Airborne articles

Books About the 82nd and 508th Airborne

The Sword of St. Michael: The 82nd82nd Airborne (Military Power)Boots on the Ground: A Month withJUMP: INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW:History of the 508th Parachute RegimentPut Us Down In Hell: The Combat

Day 281-284: Life in the Lab, Hamilton Color

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Sso many interesting projects come through the door at Hamilton Color Lab I keep my Olympus camera on the counter at work.  (Sometimes it’s the only place I get my photo of the day)  I work the front desk, handle the customer service, the marketing, and the social media accounts which, at the present time includes a Facebook page, Twitter account and lately the Flickr account.

But, since my personal blog centers around photography I thought I would post a series here every now and then. Especially since some of my photos of the day are taken at work.

Graflex camera
Graflex camera a customer brought in to show and tell

Film is not dead, barely hanging on though. Hamilton Color Lab only processes E-6 slide film, our C41 machine literally caught fired a few years ago and it wasn’t worth the money to rebuild. But the film that is very much alive and cool again is vintage formats. We still receive large format film for processing including E-6 110, 120, 4×5 and occasionally 8×10 size slide transparencies.

Vintage check project
Vintage check project

We scanned the vintage small check  (lower left in pink) at a high resolution, created a vintage look in brown tones, printed it on cotton etching paper on an inkjet printer, matted and framed the piece. It will eventually go into the Woodbine Saving Bank newly remodeled bank.

Mid 1800's: Photo and art restoration and reproduction
Mid 1800's: Photo and art restoration and reproduction

The date on the back of this picture was 1841 and the genealogy of the family listed a son named “Benjamin Franklin ____” Isn’t that cool!  Benjamin Franklin was a celebrity of his day, and obviously admired enough to name their child after the man.

Day 277: Red Door, Nebraska City Church

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Now that I’ve learned the significance of red doors on churches I’m on the lookout for more to photograph. The first red door I saw on a church was during a visit to  South Windsor Connecticut. Little did I know the second one I would find would be in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The oldest Episcopal church in Nebraska, founded in 1857 has a crimson door. 

Red Door at a church in Nebraska
Red Door at a church in Nebraska

So what does it mean when you see a red door on a church? What does it represent in the Christian faith? The blood of Christ. As you walk through the door into the house of worship you are cleansed in the blood of Christ. Read about my first encounter below, along with the history of Martin Luther and a very famous door.

Significance of Red Doors in a Church – 3 Quarters Today

I didn’t know of the significance of red doors on churches until I read, Finally A Red Door, on another Project 365 blog. Although this door is of a Catholic church in Connecticut the symbolism of a red door in churches spans …
Since I drive around the country side on a regular basis you would think I would spot more, but I believe the tradition of painting church doors to represent the blood of Christ is no longer fashionable. Have you ever see a red door on a church? 
 
 

 

 
 

Day 122/365: Windpower, Past and Present

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OnOne Effects: Graduated Blue and Magic Hour

Wind power today and yesterday
Photo REDO with Lightroom 4 (more realistic to what I really saw)

Windmills and Wind Farm SOOC
Windmills and Wind Farm SOOC

The world has come full circle in it’s use of energy. Harnessing wind power was used for hundreds of years as evidenced by this windmill in the foreground used to pump water into a livestock tank.  In the back are modern wind turbines in Western Iowa.

Iowa leads the United States in wind energy, more than 15% of the electrical power is generated by 47 wind farms across the state. This particular farm is part of the Adair Wind Farm. Don’t let the distance fool you, these modern wind turbines are huge. The base at the bottom is fifty feet in diameter and they stand 263 feet tall with each turbine being 126 feet in length.

Massive and impressive. Many people think they are eyesores to the landscape. Personally I find them graceful, serene, and peaceful from a distance, the rotating blades create a hypnotizing effect with their consistent rhythm. But then I don’t live right next to them either.

UPDATE:

7/2012: Second image was processed using Lightroom 4. As I’m going through my old photos I now have the tools to improve them and thought I would repost a few blog articles. 

Thanks for the suggestion Victoria, I had forgotten about the graduated blue action on the OnOne software.