‘THE GREAT ESCAPE’ The Daring True Story of an Allied Getaway During WWII
What do Steve “The King of Cool” McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner have in common? They all starred in the 1963 World War II classic “The Great Escape.” What makes the movie amazing to watch is not just that it is full of legendary stars like McQueen and Garner or the fact that the action sequences were filmed using practical stunts, not special effects. What makes it truly incredible is that this story actually happened. Based on WWII veteran Paul Brickhill’s book, “The Great Escape” depicts a group of Allied officers as they attempt to escape from Stalag Luft III, one of the most heavily reinforced prison camps under German watch. Loose sand, raised prison housing, and seismographic microphones were all meant to deter prisoners from digging their way out. But one prisoner was not discouraged. Squadron Leader Roger Bushell saw these factors as obstacles to overcome rather than inescapable conditions. And in the spring of 1943, he initiated a plan to get himself and 200 of his fellow prisoners out of the camp.
enough that the microphones could not detect them and long enough to reach outside of the camp’s walls. On a chilly night in 1944 — a year after the endeavor began — one tunnel was finally ready, and the prisoners began their exit. In all, 76 Allied men managed to escape from Stalag Luft III. While freedom was short-lived for some,
the escapees were successful in redirecting Nazi efforts from the front lines. And as veteran Jack Lyon said of the escape, “It did do a lot for morale, particularly for those prisoners who had been there for a long time. They felt they were able to contribute something, even if they were not able to get out.” For the rest of the story, you will have to watch the movie or read the book. You can watch “The Great Escape” on Amazon Prime, and you can find Brickhill’s daring tale at most book retailers.
During the next year, over 600 prisoners helped with the effort of digging tunnels underneath Stalag Luft III. They had to be deep
SWEET, SWEET LAUGHTER
No. 2: Popsicles
Humor has an awesome role in our lives, and sometimes, we get to enjoy it through the food we eat. July 1 is International Joke Day, which makes many of us at Hegwood Law Group think about a particular candy: Laffy Taffy. Let us take a look at some of the most famous foods that were sold with jokes (and nostalgia) attached. No. 1: Laffy Taffy Kids write some pretty silly jokes — and no other food supports kids’ jokes better than Laffy Taffy, a delicious stretchy candy that first hit stores decades ago. Packets always feature jokes in a question and answer format, and many of them are quirky and adorable. One of our favorites?
Behind the jokes you see on Popsicle sticks, the backstory of Popsicles is rather fascinating. In 1905, an 11-year-old named Frank Epperson left a cup of soda with a stirring stick out on the porch overnight. The night was freezing, so the next morning, Frank found his drink as an icicle. He declared it an “Epsicle” and would make them for his friends at school and, later in life, for his own kids, who called it “Pop’s ‘Sicle.” Eventually, Frank patented it in 1923 and sold it with jokes printed on the wooden sticks to entertain the kids of the world. No. 3: Bazooka Bubble Gum For 58 years, Bazooka Joe was a recurring comic figure in a comic distributed nationwide through the popular gum brand Bazooka. Kids would open up a pack of gum and find a comic strip printed on wax, featuring punny jokes between Bazooka Joe and his pal Mort. You can still find many of these comics online, even if the gum is only sold with brain teasers these days.
Q: Why did the student eat his homework? A: The teacher said it was a piece of cake.
We hope you celebrate International Joke Day by enjoying one (or all three, we will not judge) of these sweet treats and sharing a good laugh. Have a happy July!
2 HEGWOOD LAW GROUP
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