Video's include "Miss Mickey – The Flyer" (Mickey Axton) one of the first three WWII women test pilots; the "Romeo's" or retired telephone men in MN; "Collections and Reflections" on WWII vets in MN; and "The Best of Hard Times" with growing up in the depression.

Above: Micky Axton "Miss Micky" was one of the first three women to become test pilots in World War II. She was drawn to flying during the 20′s barnstorming days, educated to become a pilot, recruited into the WASP by Jacqueline Cochran, became a test pilot in WWII, and was the first woman to fly the B-29.

Update: On July 1, 2009 the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives recognized the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP’s) and passed an act that awarded them with a Congressional Gold Medal. Find additional information at WASP on the Web, or WWII Women Pilots, or Wings Across America…

Above: The Romeos are nine retired telco men talking of a transitional time in telecommunications. It was a change from iron wire poles to the start of a new day in communications.

Scene’s from 2008 North Mankato Triathlon. Nephew Aaron talked us into doing the race… his dad, and uncles. Had a great time passing and being passed.

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This is Aaron’s graduation race… My nephew talked us into doing this race (his dad and Bindl uncle’s), and then he took a 2,000 mile bike ride to Niagara Falls without a video camera. So I got this idea to try out the Google Maps for documenting a trip. Click on the lines and images above for notes and highlights. 2008 race results at OnLineRaceResults.com. See a better quality video in later post – the one embedded in map above is only YouTube regular quality.

Reflecting on WWII through uniform collection of Kurt Barickman and memories from veterans in Albert Lea Minnesota. Originally produced for MNHS Greatest Generation Film Project.

Public Domain Photos from archive.gov and Veterans Service Albert Lea. ccMixter.org Creative Commons BY music "Photo theme: Yellow Flowers" by Anthony Raijekov.

A short documentary on growing up during the 1930′s depression as part of the Greatest Generation Film Project produced for the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) Film Project 2006. Life was normal to these men and women growing up during that period… they didn’t know of any other way.