‘Excitement Often Means Danger’: A Mother And Son Remember Life On The Fire Line
Connie Mehmel was a young mother when she started fighting wildfires in Washington state, in the late 1970s. Her son, Ian, would eventually follow in her footsteps. After 42 years working for the Forest Service, Connie retired in September of 2019.
Connie and Ian sat down at StoryCorps to talk about working life side by side on the fire line.
Top photo: Ian Bennett and his mom, Connie Mehmel, at their StoryCorps interview in Wenatchee, WA on June 4, 2009. By Chaela Herridge-Meyer for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Connie Mehmel stands in uniform in 2012 at Summer Blossom. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, WA.
Originally aired Friday, September 13th, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Swept Away: Falling for the Man with 600 Vacuums
We love a good love story here at StoryCorps. But this one? It sucks … just not in the way you might think.
Tom Gasko has been a vacuum repairman for over 35 years. He also collects vacuums — hundreds and hundreds of them — and proudly displays them in his very own vacuum cleaner museum in a Rolla, Missouri strip mall.
He came to StoryCorps to share his love for the machines with his husband, Donnie Pedrola.
Top photo: Donnie Pedrola and Tom Gasko at their StoryCorps interview in Rolla, MI on June 26, 2019. By Dupe Oyebolu for StoryCorps.
Bottom photo: In 2001, Tom got a tattoo of the logo of his favorite vacuum cleaner, The Airway from 1935. This is the same machine he hopes to spend eternity in. Courtesy Tom Gasko.
Originally aired September 6, 2019 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
‘It’s Such A Gift Of A Job’: Nurses Reflect On Their Work In The Intensive Care Unit
Kristin Sollars and Marci Ebberts are nurses at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. They worked side by side in the intensive care unit for years and grew so close they’ve come to call themselves “work wives.”
Kristin and Marci sat down at StoryCorps to reflect on how their work is more than just a job.
Top Photo: Kristin Sollars and Marci Ebbers at their StoryCorps interview in Orlando, FL on May 21, 2019. By Emilyn Sosa for StoryCorps.
This interview was recorded in partnership with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
Originally aired August 30, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Remembering One Tough Veteran: Lieutenant Susan Ahn Cuddy
Susan Ahn Cuddy was one seriously tough woman, who wore many hats — and broke many barriers — throughout her life.
She was the first Asian American woman in the Navy and the first woman gunnery officer teaching air combat tactics. During World War II, Lieutenant Cuddy trained Navy pilots in dogfighting maneuvers and firing .50-caliber machine guns.
But her children, Flip and Christine Cuddy, didn’t know about her accomplishments until later in life. In 2018, they came to StoryCorps to remember her.
Top photo: Susan Ahn Cuddy (far right) at the US Naval Air Station in Florida in 1943. Courtesy of Flip Cuddy.
Middle photo: Susan Ahn Cuddy in uniform. Courtesy of Flip Cuddy.
Middle photo: Susan Ahn Cuddy training a sailor in how to fire a .50-caliber machine gun. Courtesy of Flip Cuddy.
Bottom photo: Christine Cuddy and Flip Cuddy at StoryCorps in Northridge, CA. By Naomi Blech for StoryCorps.
Originally aired August 17, 2019 on NPR’s Weekend Edition.
As a 10-Year-Old, He Played an Unexpected Role in Apollo 11
In July 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft was on its way to the Moon — carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
Back on Earth, 10-year-old Greg Force was dreaming of going to space himself one day.
Greg’s father, Charles Force, worked on the Apollo missions. The family lived on Guam, home to a massive antenna that connected the astronauts to Mission Control.
At 60 years old, Greg came to StoryCorps with his 17-year-old daughter, Abby, to remember the little-known role he played in the success of that historic mission.
Top photo: Greg Force and Abby Force at their StoryCorps interview in Greenville, SC on May 21, 2019. By Alletta Cooper for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Greg Force (second from left) and his three brothers in Guam. Greg says his father chose him to help because his older brother’s hand was too big, and his younger brother would’ve “gotten grease everywhere.” Courtesy of Greg Force.
Bottom photo: 10-year-old Greg Force in 1969, greasing the antenna bearing at the NASA tracking station on Guam. Courtesy of Greg Force.
Originally aired July 19, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Woman Providing Life-Saving Aid at the Mexico-Arizona Border Shares Her Story
Maria Ochoa is a 70-year-old grandmother who has walked the Arizona desert well over 100 times providing water and aid to migrants who have crossed the border from Mexico. The humanitarian aid she and other Tucson Samaritans provide is legal, as long as they don’t transport migrants or venture onto private land.
She came to StoryCorps in Tucson with her friend and fellow volunteer, Alma Schlor, to share her connection to the work.
This summer, Maria will have been doing this work with the Tucson Samaritans for seventeen years. She was one of the founders of the organization in 2002.
Top photo: Maria Ochoa poses by the Arizona/Mexico border wall, south of Tucson, Arizona. By Camila Kerwin for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Alma Schlor and Maria Ochoa at their StoryCorps interview in Tucson, Arizona on April 20, 2016. By Camila Kerwin for StoryCorps.
Bottom photo: Maria Ochoa walks one of the trails she monitors with the Tucson Samaritans. By Camila Kerwin for StoryCorps.
Originally aired June 21, 2019 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Visit to the ER Takes an Unexpected Turn
When Ellen Hughes’ son Walker tried a new medication, it was supposed to help him calm down. It wound up doing the opposite.
Thirty-three year old Walker became agitated and violent. Walker has autism and struggled to communicate what was going on. But his mom Ellen knew they had to get to a hospital.
When they arrived at Loyola University Medical Center near Chicago, Walker bit Ellen. That’s when they encountered Public Safety Sergeant Keith Miller. At StoryCorps, Ellen told Keith how he helped her son — and herself — get the care they needed that day.
Top photo: Keith Miller and Ellen Hughes at the Chicago StoryBooth in February 2019. Photo by Rocio Santos for StoryCorps.
Bottom photo: Walker Hughes with his mom Ellen Hughes. Courtesy of Ellen Hughes.
Originally aired April 12, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
How Sheep Farming Helped an Injured Army Vet Overcome PTSD
Mickey Willenbring has always been a fighter. She grew up being shuffled between her family on reservations in the upper Midwest, family on the West Coast, and in the foster care system.
The Army called to her as a way to take control of her life, and at the age of 20, she enlisted.
What she didn’t know was that her biggest fight would lie not on the battlefield, but in coming home.
She came to StoryCorps in Eugene, Oregon to remember.
Over the past nine years, Mickey has owned and operated the Dot Ranch Navajo-Churro sheep farm in rural Oregon. She says she hasn’t had a major episode related to her PTSD since starting the ranch.
Top photo: Mickey Willenbring poses at her StoryCorps interview in Eugene, Oregon on January 26, 2019. Photo by Dupe Oyebolu/StoryCorps.
Bottom photo: Mickey Willenbring at work on her ranch with one of her Navajo-Churro sheep. Photo by Tim Herrera.
Originally aired March 1, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Their Love for Each Other Grew into a Love for their Community
In 1997, Sharon Adams felt a call. After 30 years away from her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she moved back into the house where she grew up. As Sharon was fixing up her family home, she needed an electrician. That’s when she met her now-husband, Larry Adams.
They’ve since completed several projects around the house, but the couple’s biggest undertaking came when they turned to the area outside of their home.
Inspired by Sharon’s memories of her once close-knit community, they established Walnut Way, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing their neighborhood.In the two decades since, they’ve built and restored more than 100 homes and transformed over 20 lots into gardens and orchards.
At StoryCorps, they remembered how as their relationship grew, so did their involvement in the community.
Top Photo: Sharon and Larry Adams in the house where their nonprofit, Walnut Way, is based. Photo by Adam Carr.
Bottom Photo: Sharon and Larry Adams in front of their peach trees. Photo by Sara Stathas.
Originally aired February 15, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
The Man Who Disabled Two Hydrogen Bombs Dropped in North Carolina
On January 24, 1961, a U.S. B-52 bomber was flying over rural North Carolina when fuel started to leak, the plane snapped apart, and the two hydrogen bombs it was carrying fell into a tobacco field. If detonated, these 3.8-megaton weapons would have had an impact 250 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Lieutenant Jack ReVelle, a munitions expert who was 25 at the time, was the man called to the scene. His job was to make sure the bombs didn’t explode.
He came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Karen, to remember those harrowing eight days.
Top photo: Four of the “terrible ten” – from ReVelle’s team – observe the retrieval of the second bomb’s parachute pack from inside a hole they dug over the course of eight days. Photo courtesy of the United States Air Force.
Middle photo: The first hydrogen bomb in January 1961. Photo courtesy of the United States Air Force.
Middle photo: 24-year-old First Lieutenant Jack ReVelle in 1960, the year before the incident in North Carolina. ReVelle worked in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Photo courtesy of the United States Air Force.
Bottom photo: Jack ReVelle and Karen ReVelle at their StoryCorps interview in Santa Ana, CA. Photo by Kevin Oliver for StoryCorps.
Originally aired January 25, 2019, on NPR’s Morning Edition.