Monthly Archives: November 2025

Remembering Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis

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On this Veterans Day, I want to tell you about Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis, a remarkable woman who enlisted as a Navy Flight Nurse and volunteered for service in Korea and Vietnam. I learned about her at the Hagen History Center in Erie, Pa. 

Born in 1925, Bobbi grew up in Erie County, PA and graduated from the Western Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing in 1946. During her service in Korea, she flew the Pacific with the 1453rd Medical Evacuation Squadron that evacuated 16,604 injured without any fatalities. In Vietnam, she witnessed at least four coup d’etats. She was shot at once and kept the bullet that narrowly missed her. 

Exposed to Agent Orange during her service, she suffered its effects until her death in 2024. 

Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis was tough as nails.

This museum has her flight jacket, her service medals and a Green Beret given to Bobbi by a grateful patient. It was the only thing he had to give and was one of her most prized possessions. They also have a jet helmet that Bobbi wore on a classified mission assisting a flight surgeon on a Douglas F3D Skynight jet. She was the first Navy flight nurse to go on this type of mission. 

She authored a book titled Station Hospital Saigon, A Nurse In Vietnam and they have a copy of that book as well. 

Lt. Commander Hovis retired in 1967 after twenty years of service. In 2019 she was interviewed for a Vietnam War 50th anniversary oral history project. You can watch that video here if you are so inclined. 

I was fascinated by the photo of this pretty lady and did my best to imagine her dodging bullets, wading through blood and muck while she performed whatever heroics earned her all those medals. I could not fathom what that must have been like. She was a pioneer, a hero and one of many women who served who deserve our gratitude. 

History is full of incredible stories about real people like Lt. Commander Bobbi Hovis. If you have a veteran in your life, remember to say thanks for their service. They may not get museum displays or tell you their stories but they deserve our thanks. 

Moody Dexter

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Last year I told you about an amazing landmark at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati. It’s called The Dexter and you can read about it here.

I was back recently and snapped some beautiful photos of gorgeous fall foliage but especially liked this photo of The Dexter in black and white. It seems appropriate to share today as southern Ohio’s weather has turned moody and bleak.

It’s hard to believe that the weekend blew by so fast and that Monday is already here again. Embrace the day. Seize it and make it your own – even if it is moody and cold. It’s the only day you have so make it count!

Spooky Silent Sunday

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Slow And Dusty: Sightseeing In Yellowstone

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Modern travelers don’t really understand what a journey was like before cars and airplanes made it quick and easy to move around. The human experience has changed so much since the days of stagecoaches that we can’t imagine needing months to cross the country when airlines can get us there in a matter of hours. Days spent in a buggy on a trip my Elantra could finish in hours is unfathomable. 

Just inside the Buffalo Bill Center Of The West stands an old sightseeing coach that was once used to give folks tours of Yellowstone. They called it the Yellowstone Observation Wagon. Pulled by a team of four horses, it followed a set route at 6-8 miles per hour. At that pace, the route took about six days. Your car could travel it in four to seven hours, according to their signage.  

These coaches fell out of fashion with the rise of the automobile and were deemed unsafe after cars were allowed in Yellowstone in 1915. The horses were afraid of noisy cars so the touring companies closed down the fleet in 1917. Unfortunately, a retired sightseeing coach wasn’t in demand at the time and those that didn’t sell were piled up and burned. This coach at the Buffalo Bill Museum is a rare survivor. 

Imagine how dusty and exhausting that trip would be. Plus, you were packed into the wagon with other people including some you might not want falling asleep on your shoulder! There was also a chance that the driver would need you to get out and walk and passengers were asked to not complain if this occurred. 

After having spent a lot of time in the car that week, I was conscious of how cushy my ride was compared with what it might have been like in 1915. I need to apologize to my friend for how many times I complained about the journey from Cody to Casper! It could have been worse. 

There are lots of grand treasures and tales to be found at the Buffalo Bill Museum. Learn more here and keep coming back for more of these stories. 

Well, Well, Well

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Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. It’s finally Friday and the workweek is about to wrap up for us 9 to 5’ers.

I’m usually not a fan of living for the weekends but, Geeze Louise, I’ll be glad for a little rest.

But first, we must push through today and see what all we can accomplish! Friends, go forth and conquer this day and enjoy whatever will make your heart happy!

Valiant Or Nuts?

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This weekend I bought a book just to save it from an uncertain fate. Have you ever done that? Probably not but hear me out. 

I was browsing the Half Price Books clearance section when I came across this beautiful spine and cover amongst the children’s chapter books. When it was published in 1879, it was part of a series called the “Boy Trapper Series” which was indeed geared toward kids. 

In 2025, it’s an antique in great condition for its age and probably not that interesting to modern children. 

Author Harry Castlemon penned this tale about a young boy named David Evans who works as a trapper and mail carrier. As best I can tell, it’s not worth much. I paid $5 for it on clearance but found a few copies going for $30-$40 online. The cover is beautiful and it reminded me of all the book crafts that folks are peddling in videos online these days. Crafty types are hollowing out books to hold a vase, making them into kitchen knife holders or ripping off the cover to frame. Heart stopping, some of these are, and I hated to see this poor old book gutted and hung on some kid’s wall. 

So, there you go. My book collecting has officially taken a new turn. No longer am I just buying books I want to read, I’m now buying them so no one else can have them. 

Valiant or nuts? It’s a fine line and I’m ok with whatever side you think I belong on.