Greetings from a Wandering Writer

Thank you for including me in your important forum. Here are my answers in bold to the questions Otto posed to New Recruits.

1. Your Name and Forum Member Name: Whats your name?

Erica Swenson Elliott. Swenson is my maiden name, a tribute to my Swedish Immigrant, master cabinetmaker Great-Grandfather.

How did you come up with your member-name?
This is also my eponymous author's website and YouTube Channel names. The Swenson edition makes it easier to find me on a Google search.

What would you like to be called?
I go by Erica, EE, Big E and E.


2. Age: How long have you been on this planet?

On this trip to Planet Earth, I've been given the blessing of 55 years thus far, and I hope to double that, because I have many miles to go and many books to write before my next sleep.

How long have you been interested in WWII?

At first, I began with a lot of passive immersion in my youth. My Father and a number of my Uncles were WW2 hobbyists as descendants of WW2 veterans themselves.

As a life long book lover, I became an eventual author starting about 5 years ago. I write memoir and then fiction/time travel derived from memoir. Starting last year, my memoir writing became focused in the WW2 era, when my Mother the avowed family archivist-historian passed over. As her executor I am now the guardian of the sprawling family archive which includes a lifelong letter collection of my Grandmother Swenson. Nana never spoke of her role to me as the self-appointed Family WW2 Correspondent. So I didn't know the depth of her letter and photo collection.

I now consider it my mission to write their compelling touching stories the best I can.

So far I've found 16 family member Veterans of WW2 that Nana corresponded with: brother, cousins, brother-in-laws, neighbors. They served across Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Army's Air Force, Marines.

3. Origins: Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA,USA, where I lived the first 36 years of my life. My WW2 ancestors were all born and raised in Coaldale, PA, a tiny coal mining town 90 miles North of Philadelphia in the heart of the Anthracite region. Coaldale sent over 1,000 men to WW2, a significant % of their able bodied men. 25% about.


4. Historical Interest: What areas of WWII are you interested in?
I am interested in using memoir, retracing the footstep and telling the stories of my 16 family members service in WW2. I am starting with my one Great Uncle KIA in Germany, will build an info request on him next.

What would you like to know more about?

I am hoping to expand my WW2 knowledge, to develop and expand my contextual narrative. I am starting with the family's letters and photos then cross referencing them into WW2 books and literature. For example building a deeper timeline of WW2 events that correspond to their words.


What are your areas of knowledge, and what can you help other with?

I am not a lifelong WW2 expert, so having connection to a community forum like this is invaluable to me as I write these books to honor their memories.

5. Hobbies: What sort of Hobbies do you have? Are any related to World War II?

Bibliophile, Lifelong reader across many topics and authors including WW2 histories as cross-reference material.

Writing has turned into Authorship: Memoir, Family Memoir now focused into WW2 letter collection.

Yoga Practitioner in an effort to keep my engines running on cruise control for as long as possible so I can finish my mission strong.

Memorabilia?

Yes- As trustee of this family collection of documents, so turning into an archivist to preserve physically and digitally across different mediums. Currently working on a codex of the family's book collection and one for the letters. There are about 50 WW2 books in that Codex, which I plan to share here as a digital link resource.

Visiting historic sites?

Cemeteries, Art and War Museums around the USA and the world.

My retired husband gave me the gift of travel which we did for about a decade leading up to 2020. In 2017 we circumnavigated the globe in a small cruise ship, with many many veterans on board. The WW2 imprint on the Pacific peoples were still resonant in our tour guides' narratives and war museum visits. So more WW2 by immersion experiences.

Wargaming? Video-games?

HECK NO! I will leave that to others.

6. Miscellaneous: Anything else you'd like to share with us?

Gratefulness.

 

Greetings from Arizona.

 

Welcome to the forums!

 

Welcome Erica.

 

Welcome to the forum. Rich A. in Pa.