Lifelong writer. Educated by Jesuits (Georgetown U), Buddhists (Waseda U.), and Quakers (George Fox U.). Soldier (Army Ordnance Officer 1966-1968), international businessman (transportation and paper sales in Asia 1970-2000). Teacher: David Douglas HS Portland, OR (2001-2012). Author of 2 narrative history series, see: Journal of the American Revolution (8 stories); Journal of Manitoba History (4 stories), plus newspapers. For instance:
See: Sergeant Simon Giffin and his Journal of the Revolution.
https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/08/sergeant-simon-giffin-journal-revolution/
Annie’s War 1914-1918
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/55/annieswar.shtml
Current Manuscript under construction: Tapestry of the Revolution: Woven from the papers of Col. SB Webb, Maj. E Huntington, and Sgt. S. Giffin.
A narrative-history of the American Revolution woven from the extensive papers of three extraordinary young men who served together in the Continental Army for 7 years (1777 – 1783). The Col. Samuel B. Webb’s descendants published 6 volumes of collected papers, Major Ebenezer Huntington’s descendants 4 volumes, Sgt. Giffin kept 2 Journals.
Excerpt from the Journal of Sgt. Simon Giffin during the Battle for Newport, RI:
[The Hurricane of] August 12, 1778: Wednesday this morning it rained hard, and the wind blew hard, and it was cold for the season of the year and very uncomfortable for the soldiers. I drew rum for 273 men; but the weather being so that the army did not move from their encampment. Blew and rained as hard as ever I have known it in my life. Before morning all the marks [marque tents] and [pup] tents were struck with the wind and the soldiers had to be in the rain which made it very uncomfortable.
August 13 Thursday cold and very hard rain blew excessively hard. I drew rum, a gill a man for the regiment. Orders came to draw half a gill extraordinary, but the rum was hard to get and we were obliged to go without the half gill.
November 16, 1778 [at West Point] … This night, after I got in bed and in a sound sleep, I was awakened in surprise. The first (thing) I saw the tent I lay in was in flames as high as a man’s head, the tent being full of straw. But by my industry with blankets and water I extinguished the fire and slept the remainder of the night peaceably though by the high hand of almighty God as we might have been consumed in the flames [the tents were stuffed with straw insulation]