Born in Pennsylvania just as the Depression was starting, the Last family struggled to make a living. At 16, Jay Last hitchhiked to California to pick fruit for the summer; he carried a letter from his hometown police chief testifying the boy had not run away from home, and had his parents’ permission. He was … Read more
From This is True for 28 November 2021
A pilot, Olson flew helicopters for the U.S. Army for four years, and then moved to the U.S. Air Force, flying A-10 “Warthog” jets, and continued that work in the Air National Guard. In all he spent 32 years in the military, and held the record for the most hours flown in an A-10 aircraft. … Read more
From This is True for 21 November 2021
A jazz musician, Chapman started his career as a guitarist, and developed an unusual playing style: he “tapped” the strings, rather than plucking or strumming them. He worked on his own instruments, and got the idea to not just hang the instrument vertically in front of his shoulder, which gave him “free hands” to play, … Read more
From This is True for 8 November 2021