THE CRICKET - Stephen Ambrose Historical Toursstephenambrosetours.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/... · MORE THAN JUST A YANKEE: A tribute to Yogi Berra by Todd Anton “You know, Todd,

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WILLIAM GILBERT AMBROSE1938 - 2015Remembering Bill Ambrose, brother of Dr. Stephen Ambrose and father of company owner Edie Ambrose.Page 2

MORE THAN JUST A YANKEE:A tribute to Yogi Berra by Todd Anton

“You know, Todd, it was the smell of the sea, serving together and just doing our job is what I

miss. The Navy made me a man— not baseball.”Page 4

This Hallowed Ground tour (September 2015)— Even though it was cool and rainy at times, Stephen Ambrose’s newest Civil War tour was a success. Read the tour recap on page 10.

Inside this Issue:2 Remembering

Bill Ambrose4 Remembering

Yogi Berra5 Salute to an Ally

Tour Recaps7 SELU 2015

10 Hallowed Ground Sept 2015

Featured Tours11 Iwo Jima 201612 2016 Historic

New Orleans Weekend

13 2016 tour schedule

Terri Sercovich, Newsletter [email protected]

NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2015THE CRICKET

SALUTE TO AN ALLYWWII veteran Mort Sheffloe honored by Belgium soldiers on Patton tour.Page 5


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WILLIAM GILBERT AMBROSEJANUARY 1, 1938 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2015

On 2 September 2015, William Gilbert Ambrose died of pancreatic cancer after a two-month battle against the disease. Bill was born January 1, 1938, in Decatur, Ill. He was the third son of Stephen H. Ambrose, MD, and Rosepha Trippe Ambrose. His father was the family doctor in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and his mother was the granddaughter of the founder of the town. Bill was the youngest of three boys. His older brothers were the late Harry T. Ambrose and the late historian Stephen E. Ambrose. All three graduated from Whitewater High School.

Continued on page 3

By Edie & Priscilla Ambrose

Bill pledged the Chi Psi fraternity at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1956 and he graduated with his B.A. in History in 1960. Upon graduation he entered the Navy, attending Officers Candidate School in Pensacola, FL. His first duty was Midway Island in the Pacific. In that setting, Bill met Priscilla Joy Wilder of Winchester, MA, who was teaching school on the island. Bill proposed on their first date. She declined. They were married October 27, 1962.

His first duty after Midway was in Bethesda,


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Maryland, where their first child was born. Bill began his career in business at Corning Glass Works in Corning, NY, before their second child came 18 months later. Twins followed in 1967 and the family lived in Corning until 1980, when the Glass Works transferred Bill to the United Kingdom. They lived in Durham, England, for the next three years where all of the children had the experience of attending a British school. In 1983, the family returned to the United States and they lived in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where the twins graduated from high school. They moved to Hingham, Mass, in 1985 and Bill continued his career by working at Pharmasol Corporation until he decided to become a small business owner and they moved to Maine for the rest of his life.

To begin self-employment, they purchased a furniture manufacturing and retail concern in South Portland called “Concepts in Comfort,” and they moved to North Yarmouth. Three years later, they added another layer to the family business when they purchased Bradco Chair Company in Lisbon, and Bill would remain focused on chair manufacturing for his last 27 years. With an output of hundreds of chairs annually, Bill operated the business and sold Bradco tables and chairs to many libraries and resorts.

When they retired in 2002, Bill started another business from their home in North Yarmouth. Walnut Hill Antique Chair Repair combined the woodworking skills Bill inherited and learned from his father with his own manufacturing experience. He spent the last years of his life in his shop, honing his skills and repairing chairs. By the time of his death, he left more than 300 different customers happy. In 1998, Bill was named the SBA Small Business Person of the Year from the State of Maine, and he and Priscilla had the opportunity to shake hands with President Bill and Hillary Clinton when he received the award in Washington, D.C.

He was always a great tennis player and taught all four of his children to play—as well as countless others. In his retired years he

was involved with many Portland-area tennis clubs, including serving as captain for the Net Prophets mixed-doubles team when they went to the National Tournament in Orlando in 2005. Bill loved to ski and he served as a volunteer ski instructor for most of the years he was raising young children. He also loved ice-skating, woodworking, hiking and was once a beekeeper. He was an avid gardener. Raising flowers and vegetables from seed in his greenhouse, he planted two gardens every year, one in North Yarmouth and the other in Friendship. Every year, he canned at least 50 quarts of tomatoes.

Bill was a lifetime bridge player. He was on the board of Skyline Farm in North Yarmouth where he walked his dog every day. He was active in the North Yarmouth First Congregational Church. One of his most prideful accomplishments was to score two holes-in-one during his golfing years. He was an ardent birder and achieved a significant life list of sightings.

While Bill grew up in the Midwest, when he married Priscilla he also wed the summer community in Friendship, Maine, where she is a fourth-generation descendant of the original landowners. Raising his family and dwelling there as a seasonal resident for more than five decades, Bill participated in every activity. On the tennis court, in the sailboat races, on the dock and on the front porch, he was a fixture who will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife Priscilla W. Ambrose of North Yarmouth and his three daughters with their spouses, Fonda Ambrose and Page Hereford of St. Louis, Edith Rosepha Ambrose and Yakir Katz of New Orleans, and Rachel Cady Ambrose and Mike Howe of South Portland. He also leaves a son, David Montague Ambrose and his partner Beto of Portland, Oregon. In addition, five grandchildren: Sally, Thomas and Emily Hereford; Talia and Sivan Katz Ambrose. His beloved Apricot Standard Poodle, Dobie, will also miss him.

A service was held at the North Yarmouth Congregational Church on October 9, 2015.

Continued from page 2

REMEMBERING BILL AMBROSE


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MORE THAN A YANKEEA PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO WWII VETERAN YOGI BERRAKeep trying. Stay humble. Trust your instincts. Most importantly,

act. When you come to a fork in the road, take it. – Yogi Berra

We lost Yogi and America lost a big part of itself. What many fail to realize is that beyond Yankee greatness and legendary sayings was the fact that Yogi was a veteran of World War II. A Normandy survivor. A Purple Heart recipient of the invasion of Southern France. A Seaman First-Class.

Yogi was a hero.I got to meet Yogi at

Cooperstown during the induction of arguably baseball’s greatest veteran, Lt. Colonel Jerry Coleman USMC, also a fellow Yankee and teammate. I’m 6’7” and I’ve never felt so small in the presence of someone as I did with Yogi and Jerry that day. So rather than talk baseball, I brought up his time in the Navy. Yogi smiled and his mind seemed to drift back to 1944.

“You know, Todd, it was the smell of the sea, serving together and just doing our job is what I miss. The Navy made me a man— not baseball.”

As he entered the service, Yogi sought combat action and volunteered to serve on a small Rocket Boat commonly known by Yogi as a “Landing Craft Sport Small Suicide Squad.”

“We just wanted to get going and ship out,” he said. He told me that he wanted to return

someday to Utah Beach. “The sky was a black cloud full of planes, the cliffs were orange and exploding and it seemed as ‘green ants’ swarmed all along the shores and cliffs. It was a view I’ll never forget. I’m thankful I was there.”

Thankful?I told him that my Dad was

in combat in Europe during

WWII and that upon his return to the states in 1946 he got a 48-hour pass and saw his first real Major League Baseball game in New York City, albeit in Ebbets Field. My family has been Dodger fans ever since.

“Well, you know everyone makes mistakes” Yogi said with a smile and turned the story back to Normandy. “You

know that day, D-Day, was something. It really was.”

While many tried to popularize his WWII service calling him a hero, Yogi wouldn’t have any of it.

“I did what I had to. I did what everyone was doing. It wasn’t anything special. I’ve never been anything special. The real heroes didn’t come

home and I’ll tell you this: people forget just how brave sailors are. I know I’ve seen it! That’s why sometimes I want to go back.” Then our conversation was interrupted and Yogi left and went his way.

In July 2016, thanks to Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours, we will go back to Normandy on our Baseball Goes to War tour. On the shores of Utah Beach, we will remember Yogi. Join us.

Todd Anton served as a Board of Trustee Member of the National WWII Museum and assisted in organizing a national conference on WWII baseball. He was an advisor for the Fox News show,

War Stories with Oliver North: From the Ballpark to the Battlefield: Baseball and WWII. He authored Distant Thunder: The Field Artillery of the 70th Division in WWII and No Greater Love: Life Stories from the Men Who Saved Baseball and co-authored and edited When Baseball Went to War and When Football Went to War. Anton has taught history for 25 years and holds a B.A in History and an M.A. in Military History (WWII studies).

By Todd Anton


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BASTOGNE, BELGIUM— When WWII Army veteran Mort Sheffloe of Georgetown, Texas, turned the corner at Bastogne barracks, he found a platoon of Belgian soldiers waiting. They stood at parade rest, then snapped to attention and saluted him. The salute caught Sheffloe off guard. He was holding his walking cane in his right hand and could not return the salute properly. Instead, he returned the salute with a wave of his cane, “like a sword salute,” he said. “Or like the Pope blessing the multitudes with Holy Water.” The soldiers broke into applause for the American who had put himself in harm’s way to help liberate Europe more than 70 years earlier.

Sheffloe was escorted by several soldiers wearing American World War II-era uniforms to the barracks that once housed Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe’s 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. The garrison commander, Captain-Commandant Johnny

Bona, formally thanked Sheffloe for his service. “In the excitement of the presentation I can’t

recall what the speaker said,” recalled Sheffloe, “but I’m sure it was a thank you to me and all Americans, especially those who fought through the dark days of the Bulge.”

Sheffloe was part of a Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours group that was following General George S. Patton Jr.’s battlefields across Europe. The 12 other American tourists and history enthusiasts were invited into the barracks to accompany Sheffloe. The Belgians had set up chairs, a podium, a map of the battlefield and a seat and table of honor for Sheffloe. Behind him hung an American flag and an image of Brigadier General McAuliffe’s headquarters. The room was appropriately named “Liberty Hall.”

Captain-Commandant Bona spoke of the sacrifice another generation of Americans

SALUTE TO ANALLY

by Kevin Hymel

Continued on page 6


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made to free Belgium of Nazi tyranny, twice, and the Belgian people’s continued gratitude for their freedom. When he finished, a Belgian soldier, clad in the uniform of a 101st Airborne paratrooper, presented Sheffloe with a framed copy of General McAuliffe’s Christmas message to the troops that praised their fighting spirit and told them his response to a German surrender request: “Nuts!”

Some of the Americans who accompanied Sheffloe either teared up or openly cried at the outpouring of gratitude and respect the Belgian soldiers showed the American veteran. They had never seen anything like it.

“It was such a touching moment,” said Diane Ryder of Chagrin Halls, Ohio. “Even [my husband] Ed cried. He doesn’t do that very often.”

Although Sheffloe never fought in the area, the Belgians consider all American veterans deserving in gratitude for their country’s liberty. During World War II, then-Sergeant Sheffloe fought with the American 8th Infantry Division’s 121st Infantry Regiment until a German sniper bullet ripped through his chest outside of Brest, France, on September 10, 1944. Medics rushed him off the battlefield and he spent the rest of

the war recovering in a British hospital.When the ceremony ended, Sheffloe signed

the post’s Book of Honor and went to General McAuliffe’s headquarters, which has been restored to its World War II status, complete with mannequins dressed in period uniforms, radio equipment and other souvenirs of the battlefield. From there he climbed back on the tour bus to visit more battlefields where his comrades had battled the Germans for the freedom of Europe.

The salute truly surprised Sheffloe. “I was overwhelmed at first and then started

to enjoy the attention,” he later admitted. “As an enlisted man in the Army, [I] didn’t receive salutes so it was a new experience and I hope I handled it with some amount of dignity and gratitude.”

The presentation, and the entire tour, had a profound effect on Sheffloe: “I was honored to be a part of that Barracks ceremony, as well as the respect shown me at other venues from Utah Beach, the Cemetery at Omaha, Mortain and Mont Ormel.”

The young Belgian soldiers who met an American liberator will long remember the experience, too.

For more information about history tours, visit stephenambrosetours.com.

Continued from page 5

Above, WWII veteran Mort Sheffloe, escorted by Joël Denis, in a WWII-era uniform receives applause from a platoon of Belgian soldiers. They had just saluted him. Previous page: Sheffoe received a salute from a Belgian soldier in an American uniform. A Belgian soldier presents Sheffoe with a framed copy of Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe’s 1944 Christmas message to his troops inside Bastogne. Finally, Sheffloe signs the Bastogne Barracks’ Book of Honor.


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RECAP: STUDY ABROAD 2015This past June, I had the pleasure of guiding a group

of students and friends of Southeastern Louisiana University on an “Operation Overlord” study abroad program, in conjunction with Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours. As in previous years, this summer’s program was an outstanding educational and cultural experience for the students, many of whom had never traveled outside the United States.

Upon arrival in England, we set out on a tour of London with one of the city’s best Blue Badge guides as our host. The Imperial War Museum, with its displays on the World Wars and powerful exhibit on the Holocaust, was our next stop, followed by a visit to Churchill’s War Rooms, where shadows of cigar smoke still seem to linger.

Eisenhower’s headquarters at Southwick House in Portsmouth provided a powerful reminder of Overlord’s immensity and the tremendous responsibility Ike carried in the hours leading up to D-Day. After a night-time Channel crossing, a warm French sun welcomed us to Normandy for a day of visits to Pegasus Bridge, the Mulberry Harbor remnants at Arromanche, Longues-sur-Mer and its still impressive gun battery, and the somber La Cambe German cemetery.

The next morning Private John Steele, or at least his likeness, greeted us from the church steeple in Sainte-Mère-Église. The dunes of Utah Beach, the cratered cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, and the formidable bluffs of Omaha Beach were each impressive in their own way, but as with every visit to Normandy, the most moving experience was walking the American Cemetery and contemplating the tremendous loss represented by each lone white cross.

Studying abroad allows students to experience history firsthand and develop a deeper understanding of those who came before, the challenges they faced, and the sacrifices they made. Additionally, by engaging with peoples of different cultures, students discover that around the world people are not all that different from us. All these are wonderful lessons that you can’t learn by staying home. I’m ready to go again next year!

Harry LaverSoutheastern Louisiana UniversityDepartment of History

THE NORMANDY CLASSROOM: COLLEGE STUDENTS STUDY OPERATION OVERLORD


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Comments from

SELU Guests...

“With regard to historical content, the tour was amazing. The beginning of the tour illustrates how Great Britain held off the Axis forces and how important Churchill was as Prime Minister of Great Britain. Also, the beginning of the tour presents how Great Britain suffered from the vicious attacks from the Nazis. The Normandy part of the tour immerses you in the terrain and landscape that Allied forces had to adapt to when they made their invasion into France. The invasion beaches illustrate how the terrain dramatically changes from coast to mountainous, and from flat to towering hedgerows. As for the cultural aspect, while in London and Paris, the cultural difference can be seen through the fashion, food, and the architecture. Also, the architecture of these locations was magnificent and varies greatly from the United States.” — Amy D.

“It was amazing to finally see these sites in person after studying and learning about them for so long. It was an overall great experience. Thank you so much for this life-changing experience! I would love to take this again in the future and look into other trips offered by Ambrose Tours.”

— Jake Y.

Interested in college credit and a trip of a lifetime?

Take the 2016 Southeastern Louisiana University Study Abroad Tour, June 17 - 26, 2016.Students, along with their friends and family welcomed!Download the brochure and registration form www.stephenabmrosetours.com

All questions can be answered by contacting Dr. Harry LaverDept. of History, [email protected]


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SELU OpEratiOn OvErLOrdStUdy abrOad | JUnE 17 - 26, 2016

APPLICATION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 1, 2016$3,300 per person based on double occupancy• Earn 3 or 6 hours of undergraduate or graduate credit• Or non-credit option for family & friends

For more info, contact:Dr. Harry LaverDept. of HistorySoutheastern Louisiana [email protected]

Tour includes:• Itinerary designed

by Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose

• Full-time professional historian and logistical escort

• Hotel accommodations with private bath or shower, hotel taxes & service charges

• Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motor coach

• Daily breakfast and two dinners

• Channel crossing to Normandy via ferry

• All entrance fees to museums and attractions

• Airfare NOT included

FEATURED TOUR

Southeastern’s “Operation Overlord 2016” is the ideal study abroad experience for students with busy summer schedules who want to visit some of the most significant sites of World War II, explore London and Paris, and do so all within a 10-day trip.

Through readings, written assignments submitted by email, and site visits, participants can earn up to six hours of undergraduate or graduate credit; a non-credit option allows family and friends to go along.

All European lodging and transportation are included, making this program an easy introduction to the adventure of foreign travel without the anxiety of finding safe hotels, deciphering train schedules, or driving on the left hand side of the road.

Participants also have the liberty of arranging their own travel to and from Europe, so they may depart from any airport, and add extra days for exploring on their own.

For students who cannot afford the time and cost of a lengthy study abroad program, or whose university does not offer a foreign study experience, Southeastern’s “Operation Overlord 2016” is an opportunity to learn about the Normandy Campaign not just from books but by walking the ground where history was made.


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I had the great pleasure of serving as historian during the This Hallowed Ground tour of key Civil War battlegrounds and historic sites in the mid-Atlantic region. We had a wonderful group on this tour who came from all over the United States and from England. Some of our guests were very well-versed in Civil War history, while many were visiting the battlefields for the first time.

We boarded our comfortable bus on Sunday and drove to nearby Manassas National Battlefield, along the banks of Bull Run Creek in Virginia. Aided by maps provided by our SAHT Tour Director, Dr. Mark Bielski, we explored the plans and actions of the Union and Confederate forces who fought the first major battle of the Civil War on July 21, 1861. Before leaving this area, we viewed the ground on which a subsequent battle (2nd Bull Run) was conducted in August, 1862.

Over the next three days, we traveled to national battlefield parks at Harpers Ferry, WV, Antietam, MD, and Gettysburg, PA. In each of these well-preserved sites, we walked the ground that had been fought over, considered the demands made upon commanders and their troops, and learned more about the volunteers who cared for sick and wounded soldiers. In addition to my scheduled presentations prior to visiting these sites, we also

enjoyed lively and far-ranging group discussions on the bus and at each location.

While at Gettysburg, we had a grand experience at the superb Visitors Center with its film, historic cyclorama, and museum. At two fascinating house museums in the town, we heard how the three-day battle affected Gettysburg’s citizens. Wonderful

meals at historic local restaurants complemented our experience at Gettysburg.

On Thursday, we returned to Virginia, with stops at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville battlefields before continuing to the Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy. From Richmond, we had the opportunity to visit the marvelous National Museum of the Civil War

Soldier in nearby Petersburg. We concluded our tour with a day spent where the Civil War in Virginia ended, the hallowed ground at Appomattox Court House. Here, General Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant and peace returned to Virginia and other war-torn areas throughout the South.

I feel that this week was not only very enjoyable, but that it was a truly memorable experience. I hope that our guests feel the same way.

Jack MountcastleBrigadier General, U.S. Army (Retired)

HALLOWED GROUND | SEPT 2015Tour Recap

Group photo at the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

Very good mix; I learned so much about the Southern culture, politics, soldier’s

life, etc; that was a pleasant surprise: not just a “who

dunnit” on the battles. Bob P.


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Historic New Orleans

Since its founding in 1718, New Orleans, has been known for its culture and cuisine. Its nearly 300 years history has been full of magic—pirates and privateers, Voodoo Queens and vampires— as well as world-altering events— the final battle of the War of 1812, the fall of New Orleans in 1862 and subsequent loss of the American Civil War, the invention and manufacture of the Higgins boats during WWII. Join the staff of Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours to learn about the New Orleans’ role in American and World History and enjoy the culture of the Big Easy.

January 6 - 10, 2016$1,490*

Tour Includes:• $1,490 based on double occupancy* • If rooming along, single occupancy

supplement of $360• Accommodations at the Renaissance

Pere Marquette (including taxes, porterage & service charges)

• 4 breakfasts, 1 brunch, 2 dinners & welcome reception

• Professional historian• Entrance fees to all sites• Price does not include airfare

Contact us for more information: 888-903-3329

[email protected]


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Iwo Jima: War in the PacificMarch 10 - 21, 2016 | Accepting 2017 Registrations

Band of Brothers Tour: Walk in the Footsteps of the Men of Easy Company

May 6 - 20, 2016June 10 - 24, 2016*July 8 - 22, 2016*

September 2 - 16, 2016September 12 - 26, 2016

15-day tours: $6,390 | 13-day tours: $5,090*15-day tours $6,590 because of higher costs of summer flights

D-Day to the Rhine Tour: The Allied Invasion of Europe

June 1 - 13, 2016July 29 - August 10, 2016

September 23 - October 5, 2016 $4,790 per person

Optional 4-day tour extension to Berchtesgaden, Germany- $1,190 per person

Lewis and Clark Tour: Undaunted CourageJune 2016 | $3,490 per person

Optional 3-day pre-tour campingand canoing trip on the Missouri River- $1,300

Operation Overlord: Planning & Launch of the D-Day Invasion

June 1 - 9, 2016July 29 - August 6, 2016

September 23 - October 1, 2016$3,090 per person

Civil War Tour: Mississippi River— Key to the Confederacy

October 29 - November 6, 2016 | $2,590 per person

The Italian Campaign: Retracing the Steps of the Allied Army up the Boot

October 2016 | $3, 790 per person Optional 4-day tour extension

to Florence, Italy- $970 per person

This Hallowed Ground—The Civil War in Gettysburg and Virgina

May 22 - 29, 2016June 18 - 26, 2016

September 25 - Oct 2, 2016October 2016 - Call for more information.

$2,590 per person

Baseball Goes to WarJuly 2016 | $5,290 per person

Historic New Orleans WeekendJanuary 6 - 10, 2016

World War One: The War to End All WarsFall 2016

Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours offers a variety of tours, many of which were crafted by our founder, the late Stephen E. Ambrose. Tour pricing is based on double occupancy; so if traveling

alone, there is a single-occupancy supplement. Please call us, or visit our website, www.stephenambrosetours.com for more information. We look forward to your next tour!

P.O. Box 19354, New Orleans, LA 70179Toll Free: 1-888-903-3329 | Fax: 504-486-8060

www.StephenAmbroseTours.com | [email protected]

2016 TOUR SCHEDULE

• Prices good through December 31, 2015.• Tour must meet a minimum number of guests to run.

Ghost Army Tour: Secret WarSeptember 8 - 21, 2016

$4,790 per person

In the Footsteps of Patton TourJune 14 - 25, 2016$3,990 per person

WWII in Poland and Germany August 26 - September 9, 2016

$4,990 per person

New Dates for 2016:

One time only!

New Tour!

New Tour!


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Tours are great Christmas and holiday gifts!

Whether it’s for your history buff father or your grandchild looking to pick up a few extra college credits, a Stephen Ambrose Historical Tour is a great gift!

Guests take tours for so many reasons: • Walking in the steps of a

relative who fought in WWII• A great love and respect for

American history• A family trip• To earn college credit on the

SELU tour

For any reason, we are here to help arrange your gift tour. • All billing will go to the

person you designate• We will send you a Stephen

Ambrose Historical Tour travel bag for you to present to the gift recipient

Call or email for more information!

[email protected]

Documents

THE CRICKET - Stephen Ambrose Historical Toursstephenambrosetours.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/... · MORE THAN JUST A YANKEE: A tribute to Yogi Berra by Todd Anton “You know, Todd,