History News Network Oped: The Great Thing The Allies Did as Germany Crumbled

The Great Thing the Allies Did as Germany Crumbled

As we remember V-E Day (May 8, 1945) and the Allies victory in World War II Europe, let's also think of the unsung heroes. For throughout Europe there was another war raging against hunger.

US and British pilots heroically airlifted food into the Netherlands, who were starving under Nazi occupation.

A US Army Colonel, OJ Bizzozero, and a Red Cross official, Kevin Silber, advocated a great idea for feeding hungry children in recently liberated Italy.

Bizzozero exclaimed, “You would have to go into the schools. Schools are the place to go.” Silber replied, “In that way we could furnish milk to children who need it, and at the same time stimulate school attendance.” Soup and vegetables were also provided to hungry school children in Italy.

This emergency school feeding, which the Allies did throughout Europe, is one of the best ways to help the suffering children of war. It’s a lesson we should well remember because at this very moment children are hungry and missing out on education because of conflict.

See my full commentary at the History News Network.

World Refugee Day Calls Us To Feed the Hungry

World Refugee Day (June 20) calls us to action to feed war and disaster victims who have been forced to flee their homes.

The United States must lead by increasing funding for food aid programs, not eliminate them as proposed by the Trump administration in its budget proposal.

See my full column at the Huffington Post:

We’re in a Global Hunger Crisis. Solution? Take JFK’s Approach

The U.S. government’s global famine warning system has sounded the alarm on hunger. As a result of conflict and drought “70 million people, across 45 countries, will require emergency food assistance this year.”

Four countries (South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia) are in the gravest danger of famine.

As the Trump administration gets underway, they are suddenly faced with a world hunger crisis that is “unprecedented in recent decades.” How will they respond to the biggest foreign policy emergency of their first year?

See my full article at The History News Network:

Wichita Eagle Oped: Food could be America’s greatest Christmas gift

On Christmas Eve night in 1947, President Harry Truman proudly talked about America’s most noble tradition: feeding the hungry. Truman said, “The great heart of the American people has been moved to compassion by the needs of those in other lands who are cold and hungry.”

Just days before, Truman signed legislation to provide food to European countries suffering in the aftermath of World War II.

Citizens donated as well, giving food to the Friendship Train, which collected goods for Europe.
Hungry children in France would be having school lunches again because of America’s generosity.
As we celebrate the holidays, we should remember America’s great calling to help those in need whether at home or abroad.

See my guest column in the December 25 Wichita Eagle (page 7A) or online at Kansas.com

Hillary Clinton: The leader we need to fight global hunger

You may not believe it, but this is what a Republican senator once said of Hillary Clinton as secretary of State: “She is dedicated to her job. She loves her country. She understands the issues. … More importantly I think she is a good role model for young people.”

These were the words of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) when introducing Clinton at an event on global hunger in 2012. Clinton thanked him joking, “We promised him that we would seize and erase all tapes of what he has just said,” in order to protect Graham’s career.

The issue of hunger is one where Clinton showed leadership and the ability to work with Republicans. This is more important than ever, with hunger escalating because of conflict around the globe.
Read my full commentary at The Hill

My History News Network column on the Battle of the Somme

What were the news headlines 100 years ago today? Imagine what stories you would see on cable TV or in your Facebook news feed if the year were 1916.

The top story would undoubtedly be World War I and the Battle of the Somme, which started in July, 1916.

British and French forces took on the German army near the River Somme in northern France. It was a senseless slaughter that claimed thousands of lives even in the first days of the battle, which lasted for several months.

Read the full article at the History News Network.

My Easter Column in the Free Lance-Star newspaper

It was 70 years ago when President Harry Truman canceled the White House Easter egg roll.

Why?

He wanted to lead by example in conserving food when so many people were facing hunger

Famine threatened to claim hundreds of thousands of lives because of food shortages in Europe. World War II had left such destruction that famine was inevitable.

Read my full commentary in the Free Lance-Star.

Hillary Clinton an award winner for fighting hunger

With the first primaries and caucuses of the 2016 presidential election about to start, voters will be checking out each candidate's track record. For Hillary Clinton, this includes an award for leadership in the fight against world hunger.

Read the full article at Examiner.

The Sound of Music and Feeding Refugees

The Sound of Music, a television adaptation starring Carrie Underwood, airs tonight on NBC. The story is based on the von Trapp family of Austria during the gathering storm of World War II.

The war in Europe led to an unprecedented number of refugees who needed food to survive. Even when the fighting ended in 1945, the struggle was far from over for the war affected population.

Famine threatened as war causes food shortages. As one displaced Austrian said, “hunger is the most cruel enemy of mankind.”

Read my full commentary at The Huffington Post:

Humanitarian award winner Sandy Berger dies

Sandy Berger, the former national security advisor to President Bill Clinton, passed away today at age 70. Berger was suffering from cancer.

Yesterday, Berger had been presented by the World Food Program USA with its inaugural Global Humanitarian Award.

Read more at Examiner.

WFP says Paris climate negotiations crucial

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said Friday it will be attending the climate negotiations (COP21) starting November 30. The conference will be held in Paris, France to seek solutions to the growing crisis of climate change.

Read the full article at Examiner.

My Des Moines Register Letter on Hunger as Campaign Issue

Defeating hunger at home and abroad is vital to our security as a nation. Food insecurity weakens our communities and has a negative impact on children’s health and education. As President Harry Truman said, “no nation is any healthier than its children.”

See my letter in the Des Moines Register.

Put Heart and Mind Into Zero Hunger

Most of us are thousands of miles away from the conflict zones of the world. We can’t physically see the unprecedented number of hungry war refugees.

Surely if you saw these starving people, you would feed them. Even though you cannot see them, let’s not allow them to be out of sight and out of mind.

See my full commentary at The Huffington Post

The Real and Heroic Hunger Games

In the Hunger Games movie, a silver parachute is air dropped to the story’s hero, Katniss. It saves her life for it contains humanitarian aid.

That’s not fiction though for starving people in South Sudan, who have food air dropped to them by the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Read the full article at The Huffington Post.

Interview: URI students with a plan to end child hunger

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. But before you get your green on, check out what students at the University of Rhode Island are doing.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Abraham Lincoln and Food for Peace

As we celebrate President Abraham Lincoln‘s birthday this month, let’s remember some of his lesser known roles too. Even long after his death, Lincoln’s influence has continued in ways perhaps unexpected.

Read the full article at Examiner.

How to lead your school against world hunger

Getting organized is the first step. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) just released its University Pack to help students get started.

Read the full article at Examiner.

My History News Network feature article

My article The Bright Idea They Had in 1953 that Changed the World appears this week at the History News Network.

Check out the article at HNN.

My commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Two hundred years ago this Christmas Eve, America and Britain received a special gift. Only nobody in either country knew about it.

Read my commentary at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

A Christmas miracle and a gift for the world's children

In late 1944 two journalists traveled to war-devastated Finnmark in the northern part of Norway. What they saw was shocking.

Read the full article at Examiner.