Memorial Day - 2025

 In Memoriam

Ronald Allen Myers

Born on April 2, 1911

Killed in Action on May 6, 1945, 80 years ago this month.

World War II in Europe officially ended on May 8th, 1945. 

Staff Sergeant Ronald Myers in a column crossing Germany just a little over 3 weeks before he was KIA in what was then Czechoslovakia.

This local memorial for my Dad is located in the Pilsen area of what is now the Czech Republic, near the town of Tesov, where he was killed.

Ronald Allen Myers' final resting place is in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery near Saint-Avold France. (Rest in Peace Dad)

God Bless America and as well the millions of men and women who have fought and died for our freedom!

This flag was used on D-Day at Utah Beach as American forces fought their way ashore.  It is part of the Smithsonian collection.  It stands as a testament to the lives that have been sacrificed for our freedom...

Thanksgiving in Omaha Nebraska...

Our goal each year is to visit our son's family in Omaha for Thanksgiving plus a visit to Laurie's extended family in St. Louis Missouri...all on the same road trip.  Usually we visit St. Louis before the Holiday followed by David II's family for the 'big day'.  We reversed the trip this time, overnighting in Jacksonville Illinois before making that final push to Omaha, our first family stop... 

At our stage and age, the fate of this annual family quest is tied to the weather.  If snow is in the forecast in either location, we spend the Holiday at home.  This year we got lucky!

It was meal prep time in Omaha.  Amy and David II led the production team but David III and Emmett Lee worked together to produce one of the menu items.  This year was a first for me in a number of years.  I didn't carve the turkey with David II providing backup...taking over that task.

I decided to take this photo of the dining room table in its pristine stage while it was still untouched by food.  My mother's watercolor paintings hang on the wall at the end of the table.  

Amy and David II had decided to approach this Thanksgiving feast a bit differently than either Laurie or I had experienced before.  This Four Course Menu was created so we'd know the order of the food to be presented and what items we could expect with each course.  The intention was to extend the length of the meal as well as the family time at the table.  As most of us have experienced previously, hours are spent putting the Thanksgiving meal together, but 20 minutes after its served, typically everyone is done.

Now onto the food...

This is the first course menu item that David III and Emmett Lee put together.  This is the cucumber/tomato/mozzarella (with basil) appetizer.   Simple but satisfying... I ate 4 of them myself.

These were the sausage cups...cheese and sausage in won-ton wrappers.  This may have been the most popular of the items offered in the First Course.  Even better, there were enough extra ingredients, we enjoyed more sausage cups the following day!

These were the bacon-pimento crostini.  Like almost any offering involving bacon, these crostini were a hot item.  The good news for me...don't like pimento...was that everyone else loved them so while they filled up with crostini I was able to 'raid' some of the other items.

This was one of the items I was able to 'raid' while others were focused on other items included in the First Course.  I managed to snag 3 of these deviled eggs, my favorite being the ones with the blue cheese.

This was Laurie's plate for the First Course.  Note the 2 sausage cups and she did grab one of those deviled eggs.  Fact is that Laurie makes the best deviled eggs...but these were very nice indeed.  

A few more food photos... This is the Chorizo stuffing, part of the Second Course.

This is the standard style of stuffing...still my favorite, especially with a late night turkey sandwich!

You might notice that I didn't take any photos of the platter of sliced turkey, the mashed potatoes or the gravy.  I thought that y'all have seen plenty of those types of photos in the past... Incidentally, the turkey was nice and moist!

On to the Third Course!  This was the Zucchini Casserole made using Laurie's recipe from her mother.  Excellent as usual and David II reported that it was better than the stuffing as part of a follow-up turkey sandwich.  

I've always loved sauteed carrots...even more now that I can't enjoy most green vegetables.  I had 3 helpings of these carrots.

Ah!  Mac and Cheese, our grandson's staple food item.  When they were young, it was one of the few items they wanted to eat.  Now they still love it...along with a plethora of other foods as their dietary menu has greatly expanded.

This was the Sweet Potato Souffle.  I'm not 'into' sweet potatoes but just about everyone else at the table was.  

...and the Fourth Course, fruit, cheese and olives.  I focused on the pineapple, cheese and blueberries.  What a feast!

Bottles of this wine...Albino Armani Pinot Grigio...were served with the Thanksgiving meal.  It was such a big hit with Laurie that she actually took this photo so she could visit our local Total Wine store to buy some for her cache of wine at home.  

The primary advantage of me taking the photos is that I don't have to be in them!  This was our Thanksgiving family photo.  From the left: Amy, daughter-in-law and mother of our two amazing grandsons; Grandson Emmett Lee (21); Grandson David III (24); Amy's mother Bonnie; Amy's father Dan; our fabulous son David II; Grandmother Ru Ru (Dianne), and my better half, Laurie.

This Four Course Thanksgiving Dinner was a winner...pacing the meal out over time and allowing everyone to be together and visit.  Definitely more work and coordination for Amy and David II.  But Laurie and I really enjoyed this approach to this big holiday meal! 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by to share Thanksgiving with us!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

On to Omaha and July 4th!

Continuing with our road trip to visit family in both St. Louis Missouri and Omaha Nebraska...

When we're heading from St. Louis on up to Omaha, we always take US Hwy 61 north to Hannibal Missouri and then US Hwy 36 west across the state.  That keeps us off of the super busy, more dangerous and stress filled I-70 between St. Louis and Kansas City.  US Hwy 36 is a 4-lane highway all the way across Missouri.  The speed limit is 5 mph lower than the Interstate but US Hwy 36 features limited vehicular traffic, especially truck traffic.  However, less traffic means less opportunities for both fast food and sit down restaurants.  Thanks to GPS and the Internet, we have learned where dining opportunities exist...and it was time for lunch.

For the rest of the trip, I had one little problem.  I'd left my camera in Bill's SUV back in St. Louis...and I don't carry or want a cell phone.  Laurie wasn't too happy that I'd forgotten the camera as that meant that any photos we took were hers to do on her phone.  I didn't request very many photos for the rest of the trip...but, as you'll see...she did take some for my eventual use.

In any case, thanks to her smart phone, she found Robyn's, a local restaurant in downtown Cameron Missouri.  I borrowed the preceding photo from this restaurant's website.

Thanks to Laurie I can show readers that the interior decor at Robyn's Restaurant is decidedly southwestern.  The website states that the menu also reflects southwestern cuisine but, to me at least, it featured a nice basic diner style selection to chose from.  

FYI, Cameron was founded and prospered in the 1800s as a railway town.  Weirdly, parts of the city are located in 3 different counties.  Cameron has a population of about 8,700 residents.

For her mid-day mid-drive break, Laurie ordered the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich, opting for cottage cheese vs French fries as her side dish. ($8.99) She said that it was one of the better BLT's she's had when dining out in quite a while.  Translation - There was plentiful bacon!

In addition to other basic sandwiches, Robyn's offers a number of appetizers such as fried pickles, fried mushrooms, cheese curds and sweet potato fries. Wraps and dinner salads are also featured.  

My luncheon entree was this Hand-Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. ($10.99) The pork tenderloin was breaded with seasoned cracker crumbs, then fried and served on a buttered toasted bun...with lettuce, tomato and onion, all accompanied by French fries.  

From what I could determine, the Fried Catfish at Robyn's is very popular.  I also noted a truly unusual sandwich specialty.  It was the Salted Caramel burger with sea salt, caramel and bacon. ($9.99) If a customer wanted to 'jazz up' this sandwich, they will add peanut butter to the sandwich.  Hmmm...

FYI...Friday night specials include a 12 oz. Ribeye Steak with salad, vegetable, roll and potato for only $21.95 and a 13 oz. Catfish filet dinner for only $17.95.

Robyn's is located at 115 East 3rd Street in Cameron Missouri.  They are only open for lunch on Monday and lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday.  They are closed on Saturday and Sunday.  Food was good and the prices were right.  With 528 Google reviews, Robyn's has registered 4.7 out of 5.0.  Website: https://robynsofcameron.com/.  

Our next stop was our son and daughter-in-law's home in Omaha Nebraska!  One of the first things we noticed upon arrival was this grouping of my mother's hand painted tiles in the kitchen.  The tiles are among the large selection of family related art work that we've given David II and Amy for display in their home.  Laurie and I have always loved these tiles but we just didn't have any appropriate place to show them off.  There is one tile for each month of the year, each with a scene that fits what might have been happening that month in times gone past in a northerly state.

These two tall (6'4" +) young fellows were the key reason for this particular trip to Omaha.  Emmett Lee, on the left is 21 and he has been off to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln studying computer science and business management.  This summer he had an apartment in the Kansas City area where he had a summer internship with Garman Ltd in Olathe Kansas.  David III, 23, attended New York University and he's now living and working in Evanston Illinois.  The odds of seeing the two together are slim to say the least.  David II and Amy are now adjusting to being empty nesters.

This is David III's girlfriend Ryanna.  She has graduated from college as well and is about to start her career in the field of social work.  We were fortunate enough that she was part of the July 4th family gathering and food fest.  It gave us a chance to get to know her.  Despite her being in Omaha and David III being in the Chicago area, they do travel back and forth to spend time together. 

Alas, Emmett attended the July 4th festivities without his girlfriend Carly.  They both attend the same school at the University of Nebraska Lincoln but Carly was off in London England for her own summer internship.  This photo was taken at the WWI museum in Kansas City.  School will be back in session very soon now so they won't be apart for long.

In another upcoming post, our grandson's parents will be included.  But for the moment, it was all about Laurie and I plus our very tall grandsons.  I used to be just a hair over 6' tall...probably 5'11" now...but 'the boys' just tower over both of us.

As I was without a camera and didn't want to keep bugging my better half to take photos, I don't have any photos of the big July 4th food feast that David II and Amy prepared for the family.  It was all about tacos with grilled chicken, sliced steak and more, with all the related accompaniments...including watermelon and adult beverages.

Fortunately, the family's deck sits up high and it overlooks a huge field/shallow valley used by residents for sports, games, etc.  Although the trees around the perimeter have grown significantly over the past few years, there is still good visibility for fireworks viewing.  The area was completely lit up, whichever way we looked.  Explosions rattled the scene.  Laurie did manage to capture a handful of fireworks photos... We hope that everyone else had a great July 4th!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Ronald Allen Myers – Memorial Day 2024

Memorial Day…a day when I always wonder what my life would have been like if my father, Ronald Allen Myers, had survived World War II.  He probably would have returned to his career as a conservation officer in Michigan.  I certainly would have been given more exposure to nature and the great outdoors.  I probably still would have gone to Michigan State University but my major probably wouldn’t have been in Social Sciences – Police Administration.

But, since my dad was KIA in Czechoslovakia while fighting one of the last engagements with German troops, I’ll never know what the future would have been for my mother or myself.  I just wish that I could remember my dad…but I was only about 2 and a half years old when he was killed on May 6^th, 1945.

This photo of my dad and me is from sometime in 1944… It was probably taken in front of my material grandparent’s home on Prospect Street in Jackson Michigan.  I would have been about 2 years old.

Over the past several years I have been in contact with a WWII researcher – David Foud, from Pilsen in the Czech Republic; Andrew Woods, a Research Historian from the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton Illinois, and through Andrew another Czech researcher, Martin Schmid.  They have all provided me with bits of information about my father’s last days… I’m hoping for additional information as their research progresses.

Andrew Woods’s focus is the US Army’s First Division, the Big Red One.  My dad’s unit was part of that famous American fighting force.  David Foud is a civilian who has been working on a project that commemorates fallen American soldiers in Czechoslovakia in 1945 and 1946.  Martin Schmid is specifically researching the battle between German and American forces on May 6, 1945 near Cheb/Eger, in what is now the Czech Republic.

This photo of my dad, with a column of American soldiers and armor, apparently moving toward Czechoslovakia, was taken by a US Army photographer.  David Foud sent the photo to me.  He’s obtained it from the 16^th Regiment Association.  The official label on the photo reads “Sgt. Ronald Myers advances down a road towards the German town of Riefensbeek, 14 April, 1945.

Martin Schmid forwarded a considerable amount of information to Andrew Woods who then passed it on to me.  Martin, a student at West Bohemia University in Pilsen, was writing a thesis on the WWII battle fought near Tesov in the Cheb Region in 1945.  He stated that he is “an avid collector of the American First Infantry Division”. 

I believe that this photo was forwarded to me by Andrew Woods and that it was originally sent to Andrew by Martin Schmid.  It is a local memorial to my father placed somewhere near the location where he was killed in what is now the Czech Republic.  I was very happy to see this local remembrance and that it has been so well maintained.  After the war, my dad was exhumed and then reburied in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France.

The following information was also forwarded to me by Andrew Woods.  It was apparently sent to him by Michael Rund of the Muzeum Sokolov in the Czech Republic.  The excerpts below were taken from a book entitled “Kveten bez Seriku” or “May without Lilies”.  It was written by Vladimir Bruzenak.

“Companies I, K and L of the 3^rd Battalion attacked from Jesenice and Okrouhai in the Milikov area…near Tesov.  The soldiers of Company L encountered resistance from German soldiers, members of the RAD and Volksstrum.  German machine guns and handguns started firing from the wooded hill above the village.  They were answered by gunfire from the American tanks and fire from infantry weapons.  The entire firefight lasted about an hour.  Only after a platoon of K Company soldiers joined the fight did most of the Germans either scatter into the surrounding woods or surrender.  The body of the German commander was said to have been found only a few days later.  Staff Sergeant Ronald Myers, the last dead of the entire 18^th Regiment in this war, was killed by German fire.”

Many thanks to my father and the thousands of other members of our armed forces who have given their lives to ensure our liberty and freedoms.  God Bless America!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Forty-five Years and Counting!

On spring day 45 years ago, Laurie and were married…exactly one year after our first date.  Time flies!  We recently celebrated our 45^th Anniversary.  This milestone earned us a first class celebratory meal in a first class restaurant…

The first photo shows the parking lot side of the Foothills Milling Co. Restaurant in Maryville Tennessee.  The second photo shows the front door to the restaurant.  

The original Foothills Milling Co. location was opened in 2001 in Wears Valley, located between Townsend and Pigeon Forge Tennessee.  That location actually featured a working mill in the restaurant.  The tourist traffic in that area was just a small reason for the restaurant’s early success.  In any case, in late 2006 or early 2007, this family operated restaurant relocated to this site in downtown Maryville.

So what is this old car doing in the Foothills Milling parking lot?  There was another restaurant at this location prior to the move by Foothills Milling Co but, even before that this building served as a Studebaker and later, an Edsel auto dealership.  I like old cars but I’m no expert.  This appears to be a 1925 Studebaker Standard Six.  A nice touch of the past…and whimsy too.

The bar is small and quite cozy.  Since dinner reservations are critical here, there are probably relatively few folks cooling their heels with an adult beverage before dinner.  In addition to the bar, there are separate spaces for small group or private gatherings.

The restaurant’s atmosphere is elegant or upscale enough as befits its menu and the quality of the food.  Southern charm is evident in the white linen napkins and tablecloths…fine dining in a casual relaxing atmosphere.  The suggested dress ‘code’ for the restaurant is business casual.  Most folks were wearing slacks and collared shirts and the ladies were mostly in slacks and nice tops.  Others were actually a bit more casual or more formal. 

To help us celebrate, we were accompanied by our new neighbors and friends, Sue and Steve.  Wisely, not too long ago, they fled California for calmer climes and a higher standard of living here in eastern Tennessee.  They live right across the street from us.

Then of course, they 'had to' take a picture of Laurie and yours truly… Honest!  I am smiling! 

Isn’t that old brick wall a great backdrop?

Warning: Some of the following photos aren’t the greatest.  I forgot my camera and the lighting was such that I couldn’t see if the photos Laurie took with her phone were clear or not.  They looked good at the time… FYI, I only had one glass of wine!

Adult beverages were ordered and our server told us that we would be served an ‘amusette’, a starter designed to stimulate our palates.  Sue, Steve and my bride were all served little fritters with greens and a sauce, the name of which I can’t recall.   All three of my dinner partners raved about the fritters.

Since I avoid greens due to my meds, the server suggested that she could serve me a strawberry drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with goat cheese.  It was very good!

About the same time that the ‘amusettes’ were served, so was this basket of house baked bread!  It was the best bread that we’ve had in a long time and it was served with top notch local butter…soft and easy to spread!  After we wiped out the first basket of bread, our server brought us another basket to demolish.  I do believe that Steve and I both consumed 80% of a basket of bread each! 

When it came to ordering the food, Sue and Steve had more control than we did…but it was our anniversary so we had an excuse!  In any case, for an appetizer they just spilt a bowl of She Crab Soup that was finished with a splash of sherry.  It was very well received.

For my appetizer I ordered the “Buttermilk Curry Pork Meatballs”…Berkshire pork meatballs with yellow curry and served with warm naan flatbread.  I didn’t leave anything behind, even the naan of the curry sauce.   Very nice indeed!

Laurie also ordered an appetizer…but the photo was too bad to even consider using in this post.  In any case, she ordered something she hadn’t had in a long time but always loved.  Her choice was the “Escargot”…a half dozen French helix snails stuffed in roasted garlic button mushrooms and served with lemon and a slice of grilled French baguette.  She really enjoyed her choice but she has since told me that she prefers the escargot in a garlic butter sauce and that, for her at least, the mushrooms were unnecessary.

Next…in order for us to ‘cleanse’ our palates before the main course, each of us were served a small dish of high quality sherbet.  I was trying to recall the last time I was served sherbet as a palate cleanser…and we decided that it was the last time we dined at Foothills Milling Co.  Another nice touch by the restaurant.    

Now on to our entrees!  Sue ordered “Maple Leaf Farms Duck Two Ways…seared duck breast cooked to medium beside a pecan and apple smoked leg quarter and served with soft polenta, roasted brocolini, and a port cherry reduction.  By now both Sue and Steve were quite happy and impressed with the quality of the food and service at Foothills Milling Co.

Steve went in yet another direction with his dinner entrée.  He ordered the “Low Country Shrimp and Grits…with jumbo shrimp, Benton’s bacon, creole white wine cream sauce and creole sausage over creamy grits.  Another dinner winner!

My better half…my bride for the last 45 years…ordered what she usually orders on special occasions.  This time her entrée was served in a different format from the way she usually orders her favorite.  She had the “Tempura Lobster Tails”…cornmeal tempura fried…with jasmine rice, sourwood honey sriracha aioli, sweet Thai chili sauce, sesame roasted mushrooms and baby green beans.  She gave her celebratory meal ‘two thumbs up’ but she did reach her ‘food limit’, ending up taking a lobster tail and some rice home.  I had it for breakfast!

As I perused the menu trying to decide what I’d order for my entrée, I looked at many options…Steak and Potatoes; Cedar Planked Salmon; Short Rib Stuffed Meatloaf, Horseradish Crusted Grouper, Danish Baby Back Ribs…and several other possibilities.  I told our little group that I saw several possibilities but bemoaned the lack lamb on the menu.  An adjoining table overheard me and told us that lamb chops were available and that in fact, they’d ordered them for their entrees. 

Happy me!  So I ordered the Lamb Chop for my entrée!  It was served on a bed of rice of some sort…which worked very well with the medium rare chop.  Since I am avoiding greens, our server told me that they could offer me roasted carrots instead.  My meal was excellent!   

This sweet beverage, a fancy latte, was Laurie’s ‘dessert’, and yes, I also indulged in a dessert.  In my case, I had an excellent blackberry cobbler with some first class ice cream.  In both cases, dessert was definitely an ‘overkill’!  However Laurie finished her liquid dessert and I ‘forced’ myself not to waste the cobbler.  We forgot to take a picture of the cobbler…

The Foothills Milling Co. Restaurant is a first class dining destination.  We have never had a finer meal anywhere in the Knoxville metropolitan area!  Service was tops too.  Hannah, our server, was very helpful and knowledgeable… 

Foothills Milling Company is located at 315 South Washington Street in Maryville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-977-8434.  They are open Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 4 PM.  When I called for a reservation a week before our dinner, I was told that we could choose between 5 PM and 8:30 PM.  This is a popular and highly rated restaurant!  Learn more at Foothills Milling – Foothills Milling Company.

I’ll bet that you thought that this blog posting was done… Wrong!  Laurie felt a need to take a ‘selfie’ of us to mark the big event.  Just for the record I’ve also attached a ‘professional’ photo that was taken 45 years ago.  We do look a little different now…time marches on!

We’re looking forward to our 50^th Anniversary!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what we’ve been up to!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave and Laurie