The Cottonwood At Grandfaher’s barn, close to the door, stood a giant cottonwood tree; How it weathered the wind and stood in the storm was a wonder and marvel to me. My grandfather said it was the strong roots, sinking down, holding fast to the ground; For the earth never lost it when wind tore […]
May 29, 2021
Also the Ones Left Behind
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This morning, I salute the noble ones, the ones who fought, bled and died for freedom, and the wives, mothers, children who stayed behind, facing each day with prayer and faith, and determination. When I see Old Glory flying or hear The Star Spangled Banner. I think of one nation, bound together in our belief […]
May 10, 2021
A Little of Old, a Little of New
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Do you know how scary it is to take responsibility for publishing your own book? Well, let me tell you, for a first-timer, it’s pretty scary. I’m determined, though. So, one day soon, maybe Ned McNeil’s brand-new fourth mystery will be on Amazon. I hope. As I’m feeling sort of antsy, I’ve turned this morning […]
May 3, 2021
The Tornado That Destroyed a Town, Part 2
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This is the second and final installment of my May 5, 1985 Daily Press article about the tornado which destroyed Peggs, Oklahoma on May 2, 1920. In 1920, Walter Neel lived with his parents, brothers and sisters on the Gid Morgan farm, two and a fourth miles southeast of Peggs. The storm went a […]
May 2, 2021
The Tornado That Destroyed a Town
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Each year I re-print the story of the Peggs tornado that I wrote for The Tahlequah Daily Press in 1985. This story is important because it is a part of our history. It is a sad story, but it is also full of human compassion and courage. We should not forget the many whose […]
Dec 7, 2020
A Day That Will Live in Infamy
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“A day that will live in infamy,” President Roosevelt said. And, indeed, it has and will. A surprise attack by Japanese aircraft against the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor triggered the United States’ entrance into World War II, December 7, 1941. As I watch old film clips and read first-hand accounts, I can imagine […]
