Your History Your Story

December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 are two dates that will live in infamy. Although 60 years apart, they both represent defining moments in US History.  

Our guests on this episode, Dorinda Nicholson and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Darling, United States Marine Corps (retired), were eyewitnesses (respectively) to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the response of America’s leadership from within the White House bunker to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Dorinda Nicholson was born in Hawaii to a Hawaiian mother and a Caucasian father from Missouri. On December 7, 1941, Dorinda, whose family lived near the tip of the Pearl City Peninsula, was six years old when she witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japan. Her home was only a few hundred yards from the USS Utah, the first ship to be attacked on that fateful day.  After fleeing  their home to take refuge in a sugar cane field, she and her family had a panoramic view of the attacks on the entire American fleet. 

Dorinda, who went on to become a mental health professional, is a sought after speaker and author of books such as “Pearl Harbor Child” and “Pearl Harbor Warriors”. One of Dorinda’s passions is to bring awareness to the suffering of civilian populations, particularly children during times of war.  

As an officer in the USMC, Robert Darling piloted Cobra attack helicopters during Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the 1st Gulf War and in Somalia, Africa in support of Operation Restore Hope. He was later selected to fly as a Presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron 1  and in the year 2000, he was chosen to work for The White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. 

While serving in that capacity on 9/11/2001, during the terrorist attacks on America, Darling responded to the underground White House bunker, known as the President’s Emergency Operations Center. From that location, he directly supported the Vice-President and the National Security Adviser during the critical moments of that day. 

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Darling retired from the USMC in 2007 after 20 years of service. He is now a professional speaker in crisis leadership and decision making and is the author of “24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker, 9/11/01 The White House” 

In this episode of Your History Your Story, Dorinda and Robert will recount their experiences on those two historic days in American history and will tell how those events have impacted their lives. They will also share their thoughts on what we, as a country, can learn about leadership in crisis, war, and its’ impact on human lives. 

Photo(s): Courtesy of Dorinda Nicholson and Robert Darling 

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Six year old Karolyn Grimes was selected by director, Frank Capra for the role of Zuzu Bailey in the 1946 classic holiday movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, where she worked closely with Jimmy Stewart who played her father, George Bailey.

As a child actress in Hollywood in the 1940’s and early 1950’s, Karolyn had the opportunity to appear in many other movies with stars such as, Cary Grant, Loretta Young, John Wayne, Lon Chaney, Jr.,  and David Niven. 

Sadly, Karolyn’s life changed dramatically following the death of both her parents within one year of each other. Orphaned at 15, Karolyn left Hollywood and was sent to live with relatives in Missouri. 

Though she was extremely unhappy in her new household, she eventually thrived with the loving support of her new, small town community. She went on to college and  a successful career as a medical technologist. She also married and raised a family.

At the age of forty, Karolyn was approached by someone wanting to interview her about her role as Zuzu Bailey. It wasn’t until then  that she sat down to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the very  first time. Since then, she’s been an ambassador for the movie and the positive, uplifting message it gives…this is her story.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Karolyn Grimes

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Born in the mid-1950’s, Bob Gumson grew up on the bustling streets of Canarsie, Brooklyn, where, as a young boy, he loved to participate in a wide variety of sports and games with his neighborhood friends. Bob’s life was fun and uncomplicated.

Then, following a routine kindergarten eye exam, Bob and his family learned that he had a progressive eye disease that would render him completely blind by the time he reached his early teens.  

Although Bob’s disability would present many challenges for him over the years, it never prevented him from having an exciting and purposeful life that has included many adventures as well as achievements such as his induction into the New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame.

In this episode, Bob, whose autobiography “In Blind Sight” was published in 2021, will tell his amazing story, which he hopes will inspire others, especially those with disabilities, to “strive, persevere and overcome” and live life to its’ fullest.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Bob Gumson

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

The word “passion” can be defined as: “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something”. For some people, that may be gardening, for others it might be music, art or a host of other interests or hobbies. 

Our guests, Rick Curti and Chris LaRosa have each reached out to Your History Your Story to share how they are each actively pursuing their passions, while inspiring others to do the same. 

Rick Curti, who was originally from Southern California, has always had a passion for baseball. Though he admittedly wasn’t very good at playing the game, that never dampened his love of the sport. Now residing in Charlotte, NC, Rick is using his enthusiasm, artistic ability and networking skills to advocate bringing a MLB team to his newly adopted city.

Chris LaRosa, who lives in Southern New Jersey, began to seriously explore his family’s roots several years ago, following the passing of his mother. Genealogy has since become a labor of love, that has led to hours of mystery solving, connecting with relatives and unlocking treasure troves of stories about generations of his family.  Chris hopes to expand his passion for genealogy by helping others discover their family roots.

In this episode, “Following Your Passions”, Rick and Chris will each tell their stories, which we know will inspire you to follow YOUR passions too!

Photo(s): Courtesy of Rick Curti / Chris LaRosa

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

On April 6th 1846 the “Dred Scott Case” first went to trial in St. Louis, Missouri’s Old Court House. The case involved an enslaved couple, Dred and Harriet Scott, who filed suit against their owner to gain their freedom. 

They did this based on the fact that they had once lived in “free territory” and should therefore have been emancipated based on the doctrine of “once free, always free”, previously recognized by Missouri courts.

Little did the Scott’s know, that eleven years and several court cases later, the question of their freedom would be brought before the US Supreme Court and would result in the horrendous “Dred Scott Decision”. 

That decision would serve as a major catalyst for the turbulent events leading up to the American Civil War.

In this episode of Your History Your Story, our guest is Lynne Jackson, the great, great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott and the President & Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation. 

Lynne will be sharing the fascinating story of her courageous ancestors who persevered in their pursuit of freedom. 

Picture(s): Courtesy of Lynne Jackson

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Nellie Oleson was the arch nemesis of Laura Ingalls on the hit television series, Little House on the Prairie which ran from 1974 until 1983. Nellie, who was played by Alison Arngrim, was the character we all loved to hate! 

In this episode of Your History Your Story, we will be speaking with Alison, who, in addition to being an actress , is also an accomplished  stand up comedienne and New York Times best selling author of “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated”. 

Alison has a passion for humanitarian causes and is currently serving as President, National Spokesperson and Founding Board Member of The National Association to Protect Children.

Alison is here today to share her story with us.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Alison Arngrim

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

If you are a fan of great movies from Hollywood’s golden era of the 1930’s and 40’s, you are really going to enjoy this episode. 

Our guest, Cora Sue Collins, was born in Beckley, West Virginia in 1927 and at age three moved with her mother and older sister to Los Angeles, California. Almost immediately after arriving in Los Angeles, she was cast in a lead role in the motion picture, “The Unexpected Father” alongside former silent film stars Zasu Pitts and Slim Summerville. 

Cora Sue then went on to act in dozens of films over the next twelve years, working with celebrities like Greta Garbo, Lionel Barrymore, Jackie Cooper, Lana Turner, Max Baer and Jack Dempsey, some of whom became her personal friends.  

In this episode, Cora Sue will share her memories of her life as a child actress in Hollywood, more than eighty years ago!

Photo(s): courtesy of Cora Sue Collins

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

In 2016, Matt was a 185lb, health conscious, personal trainer. He had just met his future fiancé and was filled with hopes and dreams for a great future. However, his life was suddenly interrupted by a devastating diagnosis of stage 3-C testicular cancer.

Matt would undergo chemotherapy and a series of five major surgeries due to complications of his cancer. His disease and treatments took a tremendous toll on his body, reducing his weight to 110lbs in eight months. This situation rocked him to the core.

Today, Matt is healthy, energetic and enthusiastic about life. He is now a transformation coach and a sought after speaker who uses his experience and victories in his fight against cancer to help others transform their mind, body and spirit and to live their lives with purpose. 

This is Matt’s story.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Matt Ode

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

Our guest in this episode of Your History Your Story, is Laura Eiman, a successful business owner and a certified Unbeatable Mind coach, trained by retired Navy SEAL commander, Mark Divine.  She also competed and won a gold medal in Olympic weightlifting at the PanAm Games in 2017 at age 64!

Laura’s journey to success, began over twenty years ago. At that time, she was overweight, newly divorced, unemployed and lacked direction in her life. She was also addicted to sugar. She felt she had hit rock bottom, but wanted better for herself and her children. 

One day, while eating a bag of cookies, she watched a documentary about the Navy Seals and her life began to change...

This is Laura's story.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Laura Eiman

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

According to the National Institute on Aging, “Alzheimer’s Disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks.” The Institute also states that “estimates suggest more than six million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.” 

In this episode, our guest will be Judy Levy, an occupational therapist with over forty years of experience.  She holds a master’s degree in Allied Health Education from Rutger’s University and is an award winning author of the book, “Activities to do With Your Parent Who Has Alzheimer’s Dementia”.

While being a dedicated professional helping others, Judy was suddenly faced with managing the care of her own mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dementia. It was a journey that lasted for ten years.

As a caregiver, Judy had to learn how to help her mother navigate her disease and give her the best quality of life while managing her own feelings. This journey inspired Judy to write her book and share with others the lessons she learned along the way as both an occupational therapist and family member.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Judith Levy

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man