The Final Reunion
My wife and I are attending the Final 80th Reunion of the 12th Armored Division — the Hellcats from World War 2. Her dad attended the 1st reunion and we are attending the last one in honor of Haig.
Blood Soaked Land
I toured a lesser known World War 2 German prisoner of war camp in Landsberg, Germany, March 6th, 2026. If you watched the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers,” then you have seen this camp portrayed before. This is my story. The tour was given by my friend Christopher Vila, who is president of the Dachau […]
Turning Point: the Charlie Kirk Effect
“Wisdom listens” -Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk was a loving, devoted husband and father. He was a young, energetic, popular national leader followed by millions worldwide who led a national student and youth movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government. He was a Christian […]
The Job of a Lifetime
In August 2000, I began a transformative 25-year journey at OpenSystems Media, transitioning from journalism to a thriving career in a dynamic media company. Reflecting on my experiences, I highlight personal growth, lasting friendships, and the evolution of the technology industry. It has been the job of a lifetime.
You Held My Hand, Mom
For You, Mom: You held my hand. It was a cold day in November 1975 in Garden City, MI. I was just a kid, playing street hockey, chasing the ball down the pavement. I tripped over my clunky rubber boots and landed face-first in the street. Crying, I ran past seven houses to get home—to […]
The Book
Writing a book is a lot like building a house. You build the basement — in Michigan anyway — then the frame, then the roof. You’re not done there. Next, you install electrical wiring, plumbing, toilets, showers, drywall, and cabinets piece by piece. You build separate rooms and a garage. You’re not finished yet. You […]
The 78th Hellcat Reunion
ST. LOUIS, MO — I arrived in St. Louis, MO, a stranger on July 18th. I went home a Hellcat. Seventy-eight years after my father-in-law Haig Derderian attended his first 12th Armored Division Hellcat reunion at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, I took his place and attended the group’s 78th reunion in St. […]
The Banjo Player
I gently pushed the Scotch VHS video cassette into the VCR. The TV screen was black for a moment and then a grainy, low-quality video started playing. It was a banjo concert from April 11, 1989 at the Stroh House in Detroit, Michigan. It featured 71-year-old Haig Derderian playing solo on the banjo along with […]
The 80-year-old Wallet from World War 2
It’s a light brown-colored, leather bi-fold wallet measuring 4″ inches by 5″. It contains two black and white photographs and one hand-written note. The owner of the wallet was Haig Derderian, a corporal in the 714th Tank Battalion of the United States Army’s 12th Armored Division. He received it as a gift while overseas in […]
Investigating World War 2 history live from Europe
LISBON, PORTUGAL — I sat in a lounge overlooking the runway at Humberto Delgado International Airport in Lisbon going over in my head the last 12 days that I had spent in Europe. It was the morning of April 14th, and I had spent almost the past 2 weeks on a mission searching for personal […]