History Connection
Where History Comes Alive
Our Mission
We are history buffs...why? History is fascinating, inspiring, and can be life changing. History books, although needed, can be static. Our mission is to put historical individuals in the classroom. We honor these unique individuals and give them the opportunity to share their fascinating stories with a younger generation. We are the only organiztion of this kind...We bring history to life. There is no cost for our service...period.
It's up to us to inform the younger generation.
Our mission at History Connection is to share and document history from those who lived it. To share and preserve the where, when, why and how of the most important life stories with students and the community.
Everyone has a story to tell, whether an epic chapter or a footnote. These stories open a window on the past, helping us to understand our heritage and ultimately ourselves. If you know an exceptional individual with a story to tell, we want to hear about them. We believe these stories NEED to be shared.
Have a story? Email Joe Noriel at
Historyconnected@gmail.com
Our services also include providing unique historical presentations to schools, clubs and organizations, exhibit management and artifact identification.
The connection begins here......
Coming soon... the incredible story of Brian Dickinson...alone, blind on Mt. Everest! May 2025
Please support us through PayPal
Your small contribution helps us in our mission to honor veterans and to document and preserve their unique history forever. We can't do it with out you!
www.paypal.com
click here to donate:
https://paypal.me/historyconnection?locale.x=en_US
HONORING THE HEROES
Astronauts Honored Including...
Nicole Mann, Current Astronaut
Rusty Swigert, Apollo 9
Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14
Stormy Musgrave, Space Shuttle
Jose Hernandez, Space Shuttle
Yvonne Cagle, Space Shuttle
Rex Walheim, Space Shuttle
---------------------------Some PRIOR Events-----------------------------------
Memorials:
* Establishment of Korean War Memorial - Walnut Park, Petaluma
* Establishment of Iraq/Afganistan Memorial - National Armory, Petaluma
*Repair/Restablish Vietnam Memorial - Walnut Park, Petaluma
Establishment of the City of Petaluma As a Purple heart City
Vietnam Traveling Wall - Petaluma Luccessi Park
Speakers...More Events!!!
Larry Park, Chowcilla Kidnapping Survivor (2023) St. Vincents High School
Mr. Takashi Tanemori Day, Hiroshima Survivor
See: http://www.petaluma360.com/news/3412192-181/hiroshima-survivor-recalls-horrors
50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War - Flag Raising Ceremony
See: http://www.petaluma360.com/gallery/3647250-181/new-flags-for-east-washington
"Dinosaur World" They are back! A special Dinonsaur presentation to be held at Corona Creek Elementary School. Fossils, Facts and much more.
Commemerative Flight 1955-2015. General Robert "Earthquake" Titus, USAF. Robert Titus, an aviation legend of WWII, Korea and Vietnam will take to the air one last time in a vintage P-51 aircraft. Aviaton Hero Symposium, more information coming soon!
See: http://www.militarybios.com/biography/BrigadierGeneralRobertFTitus.html
Also http://www.petaluma360.com/gallery/3831421-181/commemorative-flight
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/titus-flies-mustang.html
Sasha Jansen Presentation
During WWII, nearly 14,000 American civilians were interned by the Japanese military and about 1,500 died due to the harsh treatment during their captivity. The majority of them were kept in internment camps in the Philippines. Sasha Jansen was only 8 years old when she was interned with her family, along with 4,000 other civilians – mostly American and British – from early 1942 until the Philippines was liberated in February 1945. Mrs. Jansen will share her amazing story of survival in the most harshest conditions imaginable. Jansen has been involved in the Bay Area Civilian Ex-Prisoners of War and has organized many trips back to the Philippines for former internees and their families.
Thttp://www.visitpetaluma.com/events/history-connection-presents-story-survival
Veterans Day Presentation - Matthew Jensen, Iraq War Veteran. Location: Petaluma High School, 11amsee more on Matthew: http://www.petaluma360.com/news/2217545-181/iraq-wars-legacy?related
Korean War Memorial Unveiling
See:http://www.petalumakoreanwarmemorial.org/
also http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4113356-181/petaluma-monument-to-honor-veterans
War Comes Home: "Letters Home" Exhibition Location: Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus
http://www.calhum.org/initiatives/war-comes-home
Veterans Day! Lou Raffi Day!
Mr. Raffi is one of the few who survived of two sunken ships by the Japanese in the Pacific during WWII. His vessel was sunk by Japanese torpedo's and the crew left stranded in the shark invested ocean. Mr. Raffi was decorated with the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Medal of Heroism. Lou Raffe will be leading the 2014 Petaluma Veterans Day Parade. Not to miss!
National Guard Memorial Ceremony
Thanks to numerous donations from all over Sonoma County a memorial honoring three fallen National Guardsman will be established. A big thanks to Lori Carter from The Press Democrat, Emily Charrier from the Argus Courier, Sonoma County MOMS and many more!
see: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2397349-181/petaluma-memorial-planned-for-slain
Iraq Veteran Paul Hoffman Presentation
Paul Hoffman will share his experiences serving in the National Guard in the Iraq War. The ASB theme of the program is "Unity".
Helen Madamba Mossman Presenation
Mrs. Mossman experienced terrifying circumstances at a young age not many could imagine. During WWII, her Philippine-American family camped in jungles and slept in caves for more then two years to evade capture by the Japanese. Helen will share her inspirational story of surival as described in her book "A Letter to My Father".
See: http://www.petaluma360.com/home/2825029-181/making-peace-with-wwii-memories
"NASA KEPLER DAY in Petaluma"
Are we the only "Earth-like" planet in the galaxy? NASA launched the Kepler Telescope in 2009 to answer that very question. Join scientists from the Kepler program and Jim & Kathy Ocean for an out of this world presentation!
*Dr. Steve Howell, Project Scientist, Nasa Kepler Mission
*Ed Megil, Santa Rosa Junior College Planetarium
See http://kepler.nasa.gov ; www.jimoceanmusic.com
Frank Castellucci Day
Come recognize 90 year old WWII veteran Frank Castellucci. Mr Castellucci recieved the Bronze Arrowhead Medal for being one of the first at the Normandy Invasion. He earned five battle stars for his heroic efforts in WWII for service in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He also ran the Assult Training School in England where he prepared troops daily for combat.
See: http://www.cityofpetaluma.net/parksnrec/pdf/senior-newsletter-july14.pdf
A Day with Timothy Ferris
Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus, Carole L. Ellis Auditorium.
Timothy Ferris has been called "the best popular science writer in the English language" by the Christian Science Monitor and "the best Science writer of his generation" by the Washington Post. Ferris has made three documentray films, all of which premiered in prime time on PBS - "The Creation of the Universe", "Life Beyond Earth" and "Seeing in the Dark". His work has been nominated for a Pulitzer prize.
Ferris also produced the Voyager phonograph record launched into space containing the message of human civilization now exiting the solar system!
City Proclamation/Jim Ocean Performance - Not to miss! See www.timothyferris
"THE PACIFIC REMEMBERED"
City Proclamation - Pacific War Remembrance Day
Featuring Petaluma Veterans:
Jack Krout, Army Air Corp.
Bob Harriot, US Army 1st Calvary
Irv Giacomini, US Army Corp of Engineers
Owen Fredricks, Navy Pilot...and special guest!
This special series will share the remembrances of heartbreak, frustration, heroism, hope, and triumph experienced by the men who served during the campaign within the Pacific against the Japanese Empire during WW2.
See article: http://srweb.sar.dc.publicus.com/article/20140227/COMMUNITY/140229610?Title=Veterans-recall-the-war-in-the-Pacific
Edmund Dubois - Author, WWII Veteran and retired Brigadier General. 2pm - Valley Orchards Retirement Community - 2100 E. Washington St. Petaluma.
During World War II, the author served in the South Pacific, with time spent in Australia, New Caledonia, and Guadalcanal, and he saw combat action in the Solomon Islands from New Georgia to Bougainville. He has had tours in Paris and Germany, three command positions, and assignments on the Army General Staff, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and with NATO.
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Current & Prior Presentations Available on DVD! Please Call Petaluma Community Access 707-773-3190
2014/2013 Presentations on DVD include:
*An Evening with Tony Redhouse - Grammy Nominated Native American Performer, Eagle Dance, Hoop Dance, Healing energy.
*“Pitcairn Island, the Bounty Mutineers and Their Descendants”. A riviting presentation by Dr. Robert Kirk. Dr. Kirk's book is the first “full” written history of Pitcairn Island up to the present time. It tells of the incredible people, the tragedies and ancestral triumphs of the mutineer’s descendents.
* B17 Co-Pilot Phil Arnot Presentation, A veteran B-17 Co-Pilot of 22 missions in WWII and holder of France’s highest honor, The Legion of Honor Medal. Renowned author Phil Arnot will share his experiences being a part of the crew in the plane that turned the tide of the war in Nazi Germany.
*Space Shuttle Astronaut - REX WALHEIM - A United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut. Rex has flown three space shuttle missions, STS-110, STS-122, and STS-135 and has logged over 566 hours in space, including 36 hours and 23 minutes of spacewalk (EVA) time. He was assigned as mission specialist and flight engineer on STS-135, the final space shuttle mission.
*Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall - Opening Ceremonies : http://youtu.be/g2LaK016QSw
HONOR, RESPECT, REMEMBER!
*"The Atomic Man" - Remembering the building of THE Bomb, secrets of the Manhattan Project. Presented by Marshall Davis/Donald Hanahan.
Mr. Hanahan, age 94, was part of the project team that isolated pure plutonium used in the construction of the Atom Bomb, being one of the elite group of scientists involved in the Manhattan project.
*Other past presentations also available on DVD: Apollo 14 Astronaut (Moonwalker) Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 9 Astronuat Rusty Schweickart, Space Shuttle Astronaut Jose Hernandez, WWII Ace Jim Morehead, Holocaust Survivors, Korean War Stories, David Morrison - NASA, Amelia Earhart Presentation, Vietnam Veterans Stories, Iraq/Afganistan Veterans...and many more!
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Please email your inquires or program ideas to History.Connected@gmail.com or call 707-776-7534