57: ATM

 

57 years ago today (September 2, 1969) the first Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was used in the United States.

It was only 2 months since the Americans put the first Men on the Moon and it was at a time when American Women had to have Male Permission for everything from Getting their Own Passport to opening a Bank Account.

Unmarried Women had to have their Father or Brother’s permission and Married Women had to have their Husband’s permission.

Chemical Bank (now part of JP Morgan) installed a prototype ATM in the US at its branch in Rockville Centre, New York.

 The first ATMs were designed to dispense a fixed amount of cash when a User inserted a specially coded card.

A Chemical Bank advertisement boasted "On Sept. 2 our Bank will open at 9:00 and never close again.”

ATMs turned Banking from a 9 am to 3 pm chore (at a time when 99% of Americans used cash to buy things) to a 24/7 service.

The only catch was that ATMs only accepted Cards from their own Bank.

It wasn’t until the late 1970s that you could use your Card in any ATM regardless of which Bank owned it.

There are currently 330,535 ATMs across the US and 4.2 Million around the World.

American Winter

 

Peter Cullen

 

Accept Everyone

Dolly Parton accepted everyone.

 

She accepted you if you were:

Gay

Straight

Southerner

Not Southerner

Black

Hispanic

Latino

Asian

White

Republican

Democrat

Independent

Religious

Not Religious

Rich

Poor

Homeless

Hungry

Illiterate

A Veteran

Female

Male

Disabled

Not Disabled

 

We need to ALL be more like how Dolly Parton was.

Like make September 25th  (9-25) Dolly Parton Day.

Dolly Tributes

From Yahoo:

“Dolly Parton tributes include Dionne Warwick, Kacey Musgraves, Jane Fonda and Vince Gill”

Stars are paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, at 80. Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics. Here is a roundup of notable reactions to Parton's death and legacy:

Dionne Warwick, singer "The Heavenly Father has made the decision to bring another of his children to him. Dolly a true child of God is in the best hands now." — via statement

Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter "Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly. She was a very clever business woman who understood the value of her music and, most importantly, the effect that she had on the people of the world. There was no greater honour for me than to have her sing my song 'Let It Be' and, even though I only made a small contribution to it, I am so honoured that she did it." — via Instagram.

Jane Fonda, actor and activist "I never knew anyone like her. She was simultaneously a naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves. She was many things … lyricist, songstress, player of many instruments, writer, prankster, visionary, loyal friend, who'd never go to bed before she and her friends had laughed so hard they'd have to cross their legs." — via Instagram.

Linda Ronstadt, singer-songwriter "I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, Dolly Parton. One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her. The world is a poorer place without her." — via statement

Bette Midler, actor and singer "Our beloved Dolly Parton has died. I am devastated, and I'm sure the nation will mourn her as I do, and for many years to come. She had a voice of pure gold and a heart to match. What a terrible, terrible loss." — via Instagram

Kelly Clarkson, singer "Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends. I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us." — via X

Melissa Etheridge, singer-songwriter "Words fail me today, words to describe the spirit that was Dolly. I was blessed with knowing her, just a little. We all were. I will strive the rest of my days to be as joyful and loving as she was. Her talent and gifts she gave us will live on for generations. We are a better world because she walked among us. May she live in the stars of the night and in the light of our days." — via X

Kristin Chenoweth, actor and singer "Like the rest of the world, I'm immediately heartbroken. I met Dolly on several occasions and she always made me feel like one of her own. She even agreed to sing with me on one of my records. My ultimate inspiration. The world has lost one of the best but I know we will never forget her because she is impossible to forget. I love you Dolly and I will ALWAYS love you." — via X

Vince Gill, musician "We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of 'I Will Always Love You' the year we performed it on the CMA Awards." — via a statement

Maggie Rogers, singer-songwriter "One of the greatest songwriters of all time beautiful radiant butterfly human. I played with her at Newport once and I felt like my chest was on fire. I was so wildly awe struck. thank you thank you a million times, dolly." — via Instagram

Elizabeth Banks, actor "This is a really hard one today. Dolly Parton in show business is like the only person to aspire to be. She is the most kind, the most loving, the most talented, the most generous, the most inclusive, the most resilient, the most gritty. She was undeniably a force of nature." — via Instagram

Kacey Musgraves, singer "The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden." — via X

Blake Shelton, singer and judge on 'The Voice' "I can say with absolute certainty that we are all feeling the same heart brokenness today. I only got to spend any real time with Dolly when Gwen and I got to work with her on 'The Voice.' I want everyone to know that she was the EXACT person that you think she is. It was like being with the funnest, most loving, most caring and closest member of your family. Truly a loss for the entire world. We love you Dolly." — via X

Seth MacFarlane, director and actor "The news of Dolly Parton's passing is devastating. I had the extraordinary experience of working with her on 'The Orville,' and it was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was. Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment one, and the benign yet assured command she maintained over her empire was obvious from the genuine love and trust you could see from everyone who worked for her. The world is a dimmer place today without her." — via X

Reba McEntire, singer and actor "Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you." — via X

Colman Domingo, actor "Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light. We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her." — via X

Ken Burns, filmmaker behind the "Country Music" documentary miniseries "One of twelve children raised in a cabin, Dolly Parton left home carrying nothing but songs to become the most beloved figure in American music. She wrote 'I Will Always Love You' as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Today it belongs to all of us." — via X

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/dolly-parton-country-legend-sang-181417714.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Dolly In Pictures

From the BBC:

“Dolly Parton: A life in pictures”

Dolly Parton, the country music superstar from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world.

(Dolly Parton, bottom right, aged five)

Over a career spanning more than 60 years, she sold more than 100 million records, wrote more than 3,000 songs and won 11 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement honour.

Yet she has always described herself first and foremost as a songwriter. "It's my way of expressing myself. It's my therapy," she once said.

(Dolly Parton upper right in the back and family at Christmas in 1960)

Dolly Parton grew up in poverty in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, the fourth of 12 children.

(Dolly Parton, aged 14, at Sevier County High School in 1960)

She performed on local radio and television as a child and recorded her first single at 13.

(Dolly Parton pictured in 1965)

After moving to Nashville the day after graduating from Sevier County High School, Dolly Parton scored her first solo hit with Dumb Blonde in 1966.

(Country singer Dolly Parton and her collaborator Porter Wagoner perform onstage in circa 1967.)

In 1967, country star Porter Wagoner invited Parton to join The Porter Wagoner Show, giving her a regular role on his nationally syndicated television programme as well as a place in his touring stage show.

Her breakthrough came with the album Hello, I'm Dolly.

(Parton performing at the Grand Ole Opry)

Dolly Parton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on January 4, 1969.

She has described the Opry as the "church of my heart" and said performing there was a lifelong dream.

In one remarkable 1973 writing session, Parton penned two of her signature hits – Jolene and I Will Always Love You.

Having written thousands of songs across her decades-long career, Parton said songwriting was her greatest form of self-expression.

Known for her larger-than-life image, Dolly Parton combined rhinestones, wit and charm to sustain a career that crossed from country to mainstream pop.

She headlined festivals and became a global star with albums such as Here You Come Again.

(Kenny Rogers performing with Parton in New York around 1985)

Parton also became known for memorable collaborations, notably with Kenny Rogers, whose duet Islands in the Stream became one of the defining hits of the 1980s.

While Dolly Parton is best known for her decades-spanning music career, her work as an actor has also left a lasting impression on film audiences.

(Workplace comedy film 9 to 5 starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman)

Parton's breakout screen role came in the 1980 workplace comedy 9 to 5, where she starred alongside Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman.

Her portrayal of Doralee Rhodes combined comic timing with warmth, helping to redefine expectations of performers crossing over from music into film.

(Steel Magnolias starred Parton, Shirley Maclaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Daryl Hannah)

She followed this with roles in films such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, alongside Burt Reynolds, and Steel Magnolias.

The latter featured an ensemble cast including Julia Roberts and Sally Field alongside Sylvester Stallone.

In these performances, Parton demonstrated a balance of humour and emotional depth, often anchoring scenes with a distinctly understated presence.

In 1986 Dolly Parton opened Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near her birthplace.

It became a major tourist attraction - one of the most visited regional theme parks in the USA.

The park's success helped fund Parton's charitable foundation and literacy programme.

Through her Imagination Library, founded in honour of her father who could not read, Dolly Parton has given away more than 100 million free books to children around the world.

Her own book, Coat of Many Colours, was the 100 millionth book that programme donated to the US Library of Congress collection.

A council in Scotland announced it would dedicate a day to Dolly Parton every year to mark the impact of her reading scheme.

Parton personally donated millions to medical research and disaster relief.

The singer also led several major disaster-relief efforts, most notably creating the My People Fund after the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires which distributed about $10m to families who lost homes.

She lined up an all-star list of performers for a three-hour telethon to raise money.

In 2024, she pledged $2m for Hurricane Helene relief in East Tennessee and Appalachia, combining a personal donation with matching support from her businesses and foundation.

(Parton performed in the "legends slot" at Glastonbury in 2014)

Parton's 2014 Glastonbury Festival appearance quickly became one of the defining "Legends" slot performances in the event's history.

Drawing one of the festival's biggest-ever daytime crowds - estimated at more than 180,000 - she turned the Pyramid Stage into a mass singalong, with renditions of Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You prompting scenes of near-universal audience participation.

In 2019, Parton celebrated 50 years as an Opry member with a major televised special called Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry.

The event featured performances and tributes from other country artists.

Her decades-spanning relationship with the Opry helped cement its status as both a guardian of country music tradition and a stage for modern stars.

Parton gradually began to step away from major touring, saying she no longer wanted to spend long stretches on the road.

Instead, she focused on selective live shows, new recording projects and screen appearances including Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, Mountain Magic and Christmas on the Square for Netflix.

(Dolly Parton encouraged her fans to get the Covid vaccine during the pandemic)

In 2021, Parton publicly received a Covid-19 vaccine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, using the moment to encourage others to do the same.

She sang an adapted version of her hit Jolene, singing: "Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I'm begging of you, please don't hesitate."

Parton's 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame marked a characteristically self-aware turn.

Having initially said she had not "earned" the honour, she later embraced it with humour - declaring "I'm a rock star now" - before performing her new song Rockin', written especially for the ceremony, a symbolic step toward her later rock album Rockstar.

In 2023, Parton delivered another headline-grabbing live moment when she performed at the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving halftime show, appearing in a rhinestone-studded Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders outfit.

More recently, Parton continued to balance personal loss with new creative work.

Following the death of her husband Carl Dean in 2025, she released If You Hadn't Been There in tribute, while also continuing development of Dolly: A True Original Musical, the stage production based on her life and career.

In early 2026, Parton gave a pre-recorded tribute speech for Ozzy Osbourne at the BRIT Awards in Manchester, where Ozzy received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her speech was short but was one of the emotional highlights of the ceremony.

Parton had been due to return to the stage for a short Las Vegas residency, but announced this month that she was cancelling the run because of health issues, telling fans she needed "a little more time to heal".

She will remain a cultural icon remembered for her generosity and humour, as well as her extraordinary songwriting - the craft at the heart of a catalogue that has shaped modern country music and crossed generations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx2k07g6ldo

Dolly Parton

 

Legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton has died at age 80.

Parton's career spanned decades and included Grammy wins, film roles and, later in life, a musical inspired with her life titled “Dolly.”

Parton was preceded in death by her Husband of more nearly 60 years, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March 2025.

35: America

As an American and someone who still believes in Democracy I fully-support Ukraine against Russia today (Ukraine's 35th Independence Day) and always!

77: Shelley Long

 

95: Barbara Eden

 

Marion Stokes

Marion Stokes

Marion Stokes was born Marion Butler on November 25, 1929 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She graduated the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

Stokes worked as a librarian for the Free Library of Philadelphia for almost 20 years.

Stokes started the taping project because she became convinced there was a lot of detail in the news at risk of disappearing forever.

Family outings with her Husband and Children were planned around the length of a VHS tape.

Every 6 hours, when the tapes ran out, Stokes and her Husband switched them out.

Later in life, when she was less agile, Stokes trained a Helper to do the task for her.

The Archives grew to about 71,000 tapes VHS and Betamax tapes (up to eight hours each) stacked in her home and apartments she rented just to store them.

She began recording the news non-stop in 1979 during the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

 Some of Stokes's tape collection consisted of 24/7 coverage of Fox, MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, CNBC, and other networks—recorded on up to eight separate VCRs in her house.

Stokes's final recording took place on December 14, 2012, as she was dying; it captured coverage of the Sandy Hook School Massacre.

Stokes bequeathed the entire tape collection to her son Michael Metelits, with no instructions other than to donate it to a Charity of his choice.

After considering potential Recipients, Metelits gave the collection to the Internet Archive one year after Stokes's death.

Four shipping containers were required to move the collection to Internet Archive's headquarters in San Francisco, a move that cost her estate $16,000.

A Documentary about her life, “Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project” was directed by Matt Wolf  and premiered in 2019.

80: Connie Chung

 

Hayden Panettiere

 

50: Will Friedle

 

Uniforms

 As Kids in the southern and western US go back to School now (the local schools up here go back on August 29th so they can get a week of snow days if needed) I have seen lots of people posting going Back-To-School Clothes Shopping. Some have to wear Strict Uniforms, some have to wear Generic Uniforms and most can wear anything.

From 1st through part of 5th Grade I had to wear a Strict Uniform. Boys and Girls had their separate requirements (Girls had to wear either Skirts or Skorts and Boys had to wear Pants and Ties) and there was a Winter Uniform (with a Sweater or Vest) and a Spring Uniform (with Short-Sleeved Shirts) and it was based on the Calendar and not the Actual Weather.

You couldn’t change your Uniform at all. If you were in the Spring Uniform Time of year you couldn’t wear a Sweater or Vest even if it snowed and if you were in the Winter Uniform Time of year you couldn’t wear Short-Sleeves even if it was very hot.

From part of 5th Grade to part of 9th Grade I had no Uniforms, but there was a Clothes Hierarchy. At the top (ie the Best) were the clothes bought in-person from the United States.

Then came the clothes bought by catalog and shipped from the US. In the middle were the clothes bought at the PX/BX. At the bottom were the clothes bought in German or other European Stores. Where you got your clothes also had an impact on your Parents’ Jobs and Promotion Chances (as was how you acted.)

From part of 9th Grade to 12th Grade there were no Uniforms again, but an even stricter Clothes Hierarchy than before. At the top were all the expensive name-brand clothes stores (Old Navy, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.)

If you wore a shirt from Tommy Hilfiger and pants from the Gap you were looked more down on than someone who wore both a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and Tommy Hilfiger pants. At the bottom were those that wore clothes from K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.

Having gone to Schools with different Clothing Requirements I personally like the places where you have to wear a Generic Uniform.

A Generic Uniform means the District decides the basic color of what the Students have to wear, but lets them decide on what they wear: Boys and Girls can wear shorts, pants, long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, a sweater, etc. and can base their decision on the weather for that day. The only Requirement is wearing the right School Color.

Outlook

 

Hughes Net

From Yahoo Finance:

“Giant satellite internet company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy”

Time has run out for Hughes Network Systems to refinance or pay off massive, funded debt to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection. Satellite internet services provider Hughes Network Systems LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize its business and restructure $1.5 billion in debt that matured on Aug. 1, according to court papers.

The Germantown, Md.-based company owed $750 million in senior secured notes and $750 million in senior unsecured notes that were due to be paid off on Aug. 3, but the debtor lacked the cash necessary to repay the notes and had been unable to secure capital to refinance the debt on acceptable terms, according to a bankruptcy declaration by Hughes Chief Restructuring Officer Robert Del Genio, a senior managing director at FTI Consulting Inc.

Hughes Network Systems LLC and 11 affiliates filed their petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on Aug. 2, listing $1.9 billion in assets and over $1.5 billion in total debts, according to the petition. The debtor's largest unsecured creditors include U.S. Bank NA, Radisys Corporation, Intuitive Machines LLC, and Qualcomm Technologies Inc.

A massive decrease in Hughes Network Systems' consumer subscriber volume has severely affected the company's financial results, as the number of total broadband subscribers declined from 1.56 million on Dec. 31, 2020, to 641,000 subscribers on the petition date. The company's subscriber base declined by 21.7% in the last year alone, from 819,000 subscribers on June 30, 2025. For its fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025, Hughes reported a net loss of over $1.27 billion, driven mostly by revenue declines in its consumer broadband business and a significant non-cash impairment charge.

Hughes Network Systems, whose parent company is Englewood, Colo.-based EchoStar, specializes in geostationary satellite broadband services for U.S. residential, business, and government customers. The company has been a key alternative for rural and underserved communities where terrestrial broadband is limited. Despite offering higher-speed consumer plans and low-latency hybrid offerings, geostationary satellite operators face increased pressure and loss of subscribers in the consumer broadband segment due to a rapid expansion of Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations.

The debtor's subscriber base plummeted as the company was dependent on its geostationary orbit satellite network, while its competitors, such as SpaceX and Amazon, promoted their low earth orbit satellite networks and expanded into rural and underserved markets which Hughes historically served, offering lower latency and higher speeds.

https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/giant-satellite-internet-company-files-232800322.html

90: Jesse Owens

 

90 years ago today (August 3, 1936) American Black Athlete, Jesse Owens, made History at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Nazi Germany when he won 4 Gold Medals in: 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters, and 4 × 100-meter relay.

He was the most successful Athlete at the Games which went against Hitler and the Nazis’ Propaganda of “Aryan Supremacy” as well the Jim Crow Discrimination Laws of the American South.

James Cleveland Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama.

He was the youngest of 10 Children (3 Girls and 7 Boys) to a Sharecropper Family in the Jim Crow South.

Jeese was the Grandson of Slaves.

He was known by his Friends and Family as “JC.”

When he was 9 years old his Family moved to Cleveland, Ohio to escape the Official Discrimination of Alabama.

When his Teacher asked his name he said “J.C” but with his thick Southern Accent she wrote down “Jesse” and the name stuck with him for the rest of his life.

Jesse met Minnie Solomon in Junior High School.

They had a Daughter, Gloria, in 1932 when Jesse was 18 and Minnie was 17.

They married in 1935 and had two more Daughters: Marlene (born in 1937) and Beverly (born in 1940.)

Owens first came to National Attention when he was a Student of East Technical High School in Cleveland when he broke the World Record in the 100 yard dash in 1933. His record wasn’t broken until 1967.

Owens entered Ohio State University in 1933 where he won a record 8 Individual NCAA Championships.

Owens had to life off Campus in the Blacks-Only Housing and when he traveled with his Team he had to either eat alone at Take Out Places or at Blacks-Only Restaurants while the rest of the Team ate together.

When Owens was chosen for the American Olympic Team at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Nazi Germany many Black Americans believed he should Boycott participation due to how Blacks were officially treated in the American South at the time and many White (Non-Southern) Americans believed he should participate to show both the Racist Nazis and the Racist American Southerners what Black Americans could do.

When Owens arrived in Nazi Germany before the Games Adidas Athletic Shoe Company  Founder, Adi Dassler, visited Owens in the Olympic Village and persuaded Owens to wear Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik Shoes at the Games.

This was the first Sponsorship for a Black American Man in History.

On August 1, 1936, Nazi Germany's Leader, Adolf Hitler, shook hands with the German Victors only and then left the Stadium.

International Olympic Committee President Henri de Baillet-Latour insisted that Hitler greet every Medalist or none at all.

Hitler opted for the latter since he refused to shake hands with Jews and Blacks.

Owens' Record Breaking Performance of four Gold Medals was not equaled until Carl Lewis won Gold Medals in the same events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

When Owens returned to the United States, he was greeted in New York City by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

 During a Manhattan Ticker-Tape Parade  in his honor along Broadway's Canyon of Heroes, someone handed Owens a paper bag.

 Owens paid it little mind until the Parade concluded. When he opened it up, he found that the bag contained $10,000 in cash (equivalent to $232,000 in 2026).

After the Parade, Owens was not permitted to enter through the main doors of the Waldorf Astoria New York and instead forced to travel up to the Reception honoring him in a freight elevator.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) never invited Jesse Owens to the White House following his triumphs at the Olympic Games so as not to upset the White American Southerners.

After his Olympic Fame Owens had trouble finding work to support his Family.

He was a Gas Station Attendant, Playground Janitor and Manager of a Dry Cleaning Firm.

From 1942-1946 he worked at the Ford Motor Plant in Detroit.

Then he moved his Family to Chicago and opened a Public Relations Agency.

When he was at rock bottom Owens was aided by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower who made Owens  a Goodwill Ambassador in 1955 and sent the world-renowned Track Star to India, the Philippines, and Malaya to promote physical exercise as well as tout the cause of American freedom and economic opportunity in the developing world.

He would continue his Goodwill Tours in the 1960s and 1970s.

Owens traveled to Munich for the 1972 Summer Olympics as a Special Guest of the West German Government, meeting West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and Former Boxer Max Schmeling.

From 1974 to 1977, Owens served on the Boys Town Board of Directors, frequently meeting with Students to share his life experiences and the challenges he overcame.

Jesse Owens died of Lung Cancer on March 31, 1980 in Tucson, Arizona at the age of 66.

President Jimmy Carter issued a tribute to Owens, stating: "Perhaps no athlete better symbolized the human struggle against tyranny, poverty and racial bigotry."

Picture: Owens competing in the long jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin

Forced Laborer

After World War 2 ended in 1945 there were 11 Million Displaced People in Europe.

(A 14-year-old Ukrainian Forced Laborer repairs damaged motor vehicles in a Berlin Workshop of the German Wehrmacht. January 1945.)

Most were used as Forced Laborers by the Germans from 1939-1945.

During the War the Germans abducted 15 Million Non-Jewish Men, Women and Children from 20 German-Occupied Countries across Europe and used them for Forced Labor for the German War Effort inside Germany.

During the War the Germans abducted 7 Million Non-Jewish Men, Women and Children from Poland and the Soviet Union (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians, etc.) aged 10-70 calling them Ostarbeiter or Eastern Workers sent them to Germany and treated them more harshly than Forced Laborers from any other Country.

During the War the Germans abducted (under the Codename: Heuaktion  or Hay Operation) 50,000 Non-Jewish Polish and Ukrainian Children aged 10 to 14 years old and used them as Forced Labor for the German War Effort in Germany.

Of the 3 Million Soviet Prisoners of War captured by the Germans during the War 200,000 were used as Forced Laborers in Germany. The rest were sent to die in Death and Concentration Camps.

During the War the Germans abducted  34,140 Non-Jewish Women from across German-Occupied Europe and forced them to serve as Sex Slaves for German Soldiers.

During the War the Germans used Vernichtung durch Arbeit or Extermination Through Work on Millions of Jewish Men, Women and Children in Ghettos, Concentration Camps and Death Camps. The exact number of Jewish Forced Laborers is unknown.

 

Helping the Displaced Persons:

In 1943, while the War was still going on, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was created to help return the Millions of Jewish and Non-Jewish Displaced Persons across Europe.

The International Refugee Organization (IRO), a temporary organization of the UN, was founded in April 1946 and took over the functions of UNRRA.

The IRO dissolved itself in 1952.

Returning the Displaced Persons by the UNRRA and the IPO:

5.2 Million Soviet Civilians and Soviet Prisoners-Of-War were repatriated to the Soviet Union.

Every single Soviet Men, Women and Child that was used as Forced Labor in Germany along with Millions who were used as Forced Labor in German-Occupied Soviet Union were treated as Criminals by the Soviet Government with most going from a German Concentration or Death Camp to a Soviet Gulag for years.

The United States stopped Forced Repatriation of Soviet Citizens to the USSR in October 1945.

1.6 Million Polish Men, Women and Children went back to Poland.

1.5 Million French Men, Women and Children went back to France.

900,000 Italian Men, Women and Children went back to Italy.

300,000 Czechoslovak Men, Women and Children went back to Czechoslovakia.

300,000 Dutch Men, Women and Children went back to the Netherlands.

300,000 Hungarian Men, Women and Children went back to Hungary.

Millions more Displaced Persons went back to their Home Country on their Own.

Millions of Displaced Persons could not or did not want to return to their Home Countries (mainly because of the new Soviet-Backed Communist Governments there.)

300,000 of Jewish Displaced Persons could not or did not want to return to their Home Countries.

 

German Reparations After the War:

 

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (1951) signed by West Germany and 23 National and International Jewish Organizations.

$90 Billion US Dollars have been given to Jewish Holocaust Survivors and their Relatives since 1952.

Jewish Holocaust Survivors living in the Soviet Union or behind the Iron Curtain could not receive any money until 1992.

 

The Reparations Agreement between Israel and the Federal Republic of Germany (1952) signed West Germany and Israel.

Israel has received $97.21Billion US Dollars since 1952.

 

The London Agreement (1953) signed by West Germany and covered Belgium, Canada, Ceylon, Denmark, France, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yugoslavia.

The USSR and other Communist Countries (including East Germany) refused to be involved.

It included Debt from World War 1, the 1920s, the 1930s and World War 2.

On October 3, 2010, the last Debt Payment of 69.9 Million Euros was made.

 

The Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (2000) a project of the German Federal Government and 6,500 Companies of the German Industry Foundation Initiative was established to give Reparations to Jewish and Non-Jewish Forced Laborers.

$11.8 Million US Dollars were given to Forced Laborers (mostly from the Former Soviet Union: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia who were forbidden to receive any Reparations from 1945-1991) from 2000-2007.

57: Moon

 

57 Years ago today (July 20, 1969) the United States landed on the Moon for the first time and Neil Armstrong became the first American and the first Human on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin became the 2nd and Michael Collins stayed on the ship.

1 Million People watched the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 in Florida.

Dignitaries included the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General William Westmoreland, four Cabinet Members, 19 State Governors, 40 Mayors, 60 Ambassadors and 200 Congressmen. Vice President Spiro Agnew and Former President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Wife Lady Bird Johnson.

3,500 Media Representatives were present. 2/3 of them were from the US and the rest from 55 Countries.

25 Million Americans watched the launch of Apollo 11 on Television.

93% of every American watched the Moon Landing on July 20,

1969 on Television as it happened (the vast majority of Americans who didn’t watch were Soldiers fighting in Vietnam.)

650 Million People across the World watched the Moon Landing on July 20, 1969 on Television. It was the first Worldwide Live Television Event.

President Richard Nixon spoke to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin through a Telephone-Radio Transmission, which Nixon called "The most historic phone call ever made from the White House."

On August 13, 1969 the Astronauts rode in Ticker-Tape Parades in their honor in New York and Chicago, with an estimated 6 million Attendees.

On the same evening in Los Angeles there was an official state dinner to celebrate the flight, attended by members of Congress, 44 Governors, Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger and his Predecessor, Earl Warren, and Ambassadors from 83 Nations at the Century Plaza Hotel. Nixon and Agnew honored each Astronaut with a presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Astronauts spoke before a Joint Session of Congress on September 16, 1969. They presented two US Flags, one to the House of Representatives and the other to the Senate, that they had carried with them to the surface of the Moon.

The Astronauts then went on a 38 Day World Tour to 22 Countries.

The United States had won the Space Race against the Soviet Union (and 22 years later the United States also won the Cold War when the Soviet Union collapsed.)

Neil Armstrong died in 2012 at 82.

Michael Collins died in 2021 at 90.

Buzz Aldrin is still alive at 96.

Note: My Mom told me that she was Camping with her Family in Prince Edward Island, Canada when the Moon Landing Happened.

They were the only Campers with a Television (that they brought with them just for the Landing) and so everyone came around their TV and watched the Landing Live. Afterwards, my Mom and her Parents and Siblings were treated as Heroes by the Canadian Campers – because they were Americans.