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PODCAST

Letters Home

A serial story of a WW2 B-17 pilot from Lowell, Michigan in his own words. We dive into letters written by Captain James Bruce McMahon during his time in World War 2 that he sent to his parents, siblings, and friends back home in Lowell, Michigan. His relatives will be reading his words and giving some context to what was happening in the world and in Lowell at the time he wrote these. See the primary sources at lowellmuseum.org Follow the Lowell Historical Museum on FB Follow Letters Home on

history

All Episodes

00:28:17

Episode 18: Spare Time in Blythe- March 1943

Letters Home ·

2024/11/14

In March 1943, Bruce is waiting around for a new crew in Blythe, so he has a lot of free time on his hands. We learn about WW2 weapons, Bruce’s changing plans, and we sample a nostalgic favorite of Bruce's-- maple sugar candy.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:40:50

Episode 17: Blythe Army Air Field- February 1943

Letters Home ·

2024/11/07

Bruce has his commission--he's going (going) back (back) to Cali. Bruce is in Blythe, California training a crew on the B-17 Flying Fortress. We also learn about the fire at King Milling in Lowell and the first mention of “that girl”--Bruce’s future wife Margaret.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:33:16

Episode 16: Bruce Gets His Wings- February 1943

Letters Home ·

2024/10/31

In this episode, Bruce writes about the days leading up to getting his commission, including a lot of uncertainty about whether he's going to get leave to return to Lowell. The Kitty mystery gets complicated and we learn about Bruce's next stop on his journey.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:31:58

Episode 15: A Toast to 1943- January 1943

Letters Home ·

2024/10/24

It's our Season 2 premiere! This season, we focus on 1943. We kick the new year off with Bruce enjoying a leisurely New Year’s Day wondering where he’ll be going after Arizona. He also welcomes a new family member.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:31:45

Episode 14: The Holidays in Arizona- December 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/10/17

It's our Season 1 finale! We're reading the letters that Bruce wrote to his family at the end of his first year in the Air Corps-- 1942. He writes about the Christmas presents he received from many people in Lowell and he takes a trip over the border to Mexico. We also reveal a new clue in the mystery of who "Kitty" was.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:26:11

Episode 13: Douglas Army Air Field- December 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/10/10

In this episode, Bruce gives his thoughts on his new camp in Douglas, Arizona and we learn about how Bruce came to meet famous movie stars Ann Miller, Edward G. Robinson, and Glenn Ford. We also learn about the snacks Bruce requested from home and sample some "divinity."Original music by Roger MacNaughton

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00:27:44

Episode 12: Thanksgiving at Merced- November 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/09/19

It's Bruce's first Thanksgiving in the Army! We talk about how he spent his day, what he’s thankful for, what he had for the big dinner, and why Thanksgiving 1942 was particularly memorable in history.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:30:08

Episode 11: Flying Skills and War News- November 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/09/12

We read letters where Bruce beautifully describes his time in the air on cross-country flights and practices his aerobatic tricks. Bruce also talks about the latest war news from November 1942, and we give more details on his predictions. And since football season is upon us, we share highlights from the Michigan and Notre Dame game from 1942-- we know Bruce was listening!Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

en

00:29:54

Episode 10: Life in Basic Flight School- October 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/09/05

In this episode, we talk about Bruce's flight training, including cross-country flights and instrument flying. We also discuss Red Skelton, pheasant hunting on Reservoir Hill, and Bruce's night at a Halloween sorority party.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:31:14

Episode 9: Merced Army Flying School- October 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/08/29

After the McMahons visited, Bruce moved on to Basic Flying School in Merced, California. In this episode, we read a letter describing his first few days at Merced Army Air Base flying the Vulture BT-13 Valiant. We also talk about 1942 pop culture, the scrap metal drive in Lowell, and Bruce’s injured finger.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:30:33

Episode 8: Planning for a Family Visit- September 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/08/22

In this episode, Bruce plans a cross-country road trip for his parents to come visit him in Tulare at Rankin Field. We also talk about Bruce’s trip to Sequoia National Park, how he avoids card games, and we find out who Charlie and Colonel are.

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00:29:46

Episode 7: Rankin Field- August 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/08/15

Bruce has made it to "Primary" at the highly-competitive Rankin Field in Tulare, California. We talk about his time in Tulare and his admiration for the newly-constructed Golden Gate Bridge. We also welcome Bruce's niece Gail McMahon Doran to the podcast to talk about her memories of Uncle Bruce.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:31:29

Episode 6: Last Days at SAAAB- July 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/08/08

In this episode read letters from the end of Bruce's time at Santa Ana Air Base. We talk about some of Bruce’s adventures in southern California, his new St. Christopher medal, and how those on the homefront in Lowell are handling the war.Original music by Roger MacNaughton

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00:35:39

Episode 5: Bruce Goes to Hollywood- July 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/08/01

Bruce got a weekend pass to visit Hollywood and in this episode, we read a letter about his trip. We also talk about Bruce's class on poisonous gasses and how he really wanted a cottage on Murray Lake in Lowell. Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:33:59

Episode 4: Father's Day- June, 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/07/25

In this episode we go through two of Bruce’s letters in depth, and in the process we learn about Bruce’s siblings, life in Santa Ana, and reminisce about old Ledger ads for Hattie Scott’s. We're joined by Dale Kropf, our Lowell historian, and Susan Teunis, Bruce's middle daughter. Susan solves a family mystery for us and reads a letter.Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:34:53

Episode 3: A Little Homesick for Lowell- June 1942

Letters Home ·

2024/07/18

In this episode, we read Bruce’s letters about the many uniforms he wore, his homesickness for his family after his first couple of weeks at Santa Ana, and how he wanted all the “dope” about what was going on back in Lowell. Our historian Dale Kropf joins us as always, and we have a special guest reader-- Zac Herrin, Bruce's first great-grandchild! Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:24:49

Episode 2: Arriving at the Santa Ana Air Force Base-...

Letters Home ·

2024/07/11

This episode gets into the early days of Bruce’s time at the Santa Ana Air Force Base in May, 1942. We read parts of three letters he wrote home during his first week at flying school, our historian Dale Kropf talks about WW2 veterans of Lowell, and we all try to figure out who “Kitty” was. Original music by Roger MacNaughton.

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00:36:52

Episode 1: Who was James Bruce McMahon?

Letters Home ·

2024/07/04

It's our first episode! We introduce ourselves and the podcast, which is a serial story of a WW2 B-17 pilot from Lowell, Michigan in his own words. We also introduce our main character, James Bruce McMahon, and give you an overview of the project the Lowell Historical Museum has done to capture his story, featuring historian Dale Kropf. Original music by Roger MacNaughton

en

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