Punta Gorda Florida: Christmas Display

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I am interrupting the WWII series to post a few holiday sketches. In Punta Gorda Florida there is this amazing trailer home with tons of lights and every imaginable inflatable. Instead of focusing on the Macy’s Day Parade, I decided to sketch these inflatables. After Thanksgiving diner at the Eagle lodge I asked to be dropped off at this house. I had talked to the person working on the display in the morning, and he said that I should come back after 4pm which is when it started coming back to life.

when I returned the inflatables were still pancakes on the ground. I just focused my attention on the home and waited for them to inflate. There is actually far more to the display on the far side of the house and on back. To the right is an outdoor drive in theater with teddy bears, frogs and other stuffed characters watching the screen. Loony Toons cartoons were soon being shown.

A penguin would climb the ladder and then slowly make its way back down. I was told that a rotisserie motor was used for the movement. The advantage of that motor is that it reverses itself. Washing machine motors run the Carousel and Ferris Wheel. A rabbit and teddy bear were on a see saw which also used a rotisserie motor.

M&M signs showed up throughout. I wondered if it was an infatuation with that brand of candy, but the owner explained that it was the initials for him and his wife. He was making adjustments and adding light the whole time I sketched. It was a never ending job. The inflatable at the peak of the roof refused to sit up, so he had to climb up on the roof and lift it up by hand.

April 1, 1945: Die Haard Forest

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After capturing Marl Germany, the 75th Infantry Division pushed east towards the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The Wehrmacht was making its last attempts at resistance before Germany would surrender. 75th Infantry Division combed the forest to engage remnants of German troops. My father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken and his C-Company troops would have advanced through the woods. This was a challenge since they wanted to be sure to find all enemy troops. Any tree could hide a German sniper.

With the regiments abreast, the 75th Infantry advanced on a line towards the Dortmund-Ems Canal to the east. Die Haard forest was cleared on April 1, 1945 as part of the push into the Ruhr Pocket which was an egg-shaped pocket 30 by 75 miles in diameter. The pocket had sealed shut on April 1, 1945 when two US armies—the 9th coming over from Wesel and the 1st coming up from Remagen—made contact.

There was fierce German resistance in difficult terrain. This engagement was part of the broader Western Front offensive, where the “Charlie” C_Company of the 75th Infantry Division faced heavy fighting, but ultimately securing the area and pushing east. 

My father would have been aware of the allied losses in the Hürtgen forest one year before. The battle in the Hurtgen forest became known as the “green hell.” Lasting 88 days, it was the longest American battle on German soil during World War II. The Hürtgen Forest cost the U.S. First Army at least 33,000 killed and wounded, including both combat and non-combat losses, with upper estimates at 55,000; German casualties were 28,000.

The Haard Forest was less costly. None of the soldiers of C-Company lost there lives clearing this forested area.

I decided to hike through the forest from west to east and then loop back to where I parked the rental car. Germans love to hike through the woods so I came across many other hikers. Some people were gathering mushrooms for cooking.This hike felt like I was truly following the footsteps of my father. The woods were quiet but once in  a while I might hear people hiking other trails in the distance. The hikers would be speaking in German. If my father heard these  German conversations the hair would bristle on the back of his neck and a deadly squirmiest would certainly ensue.

I was using a hiking app to navigate the trails. After sketching and hiking for several hours, I realized that the app had drained the battery on my phone. I was afraid that the phone would die, and I would become helplessly lost. I turned the phone off and started navigating by the angle of the sun and trusted that I was heading back to the site I had parked. I made it back safely, but now I wish I had brought along a traditional hand held liquid compass for navigating. Digital devices cannot be trusted to last out in the woods.

March 29, 1945: Chemische Werke Huls in Marl Germany

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On March 31, 8th (holy Saturday) the 8th Armored Division occupied Chemische Werke Huls. The 75th Infantry Division which was assigned to the 8th Armored Division helped secure the facility. The chemical plant had suffered from Allied bombing prior to the attack. It was to be blown up and completely destroyed by the retreating Nazi’s because of Hitler’s (Nero Policy) but it was saved because Nazi leadership was convinced it was no longer operational anyway and they were in  a rush to flee.

I.G. Farben (which controlled the mine) was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate that was integral to the Nazi war machine and the atrocities of the Holocaust. The company conducted drug experiments on live inmates at concentration camps, including Auschwitz, Dachau, and Buchenwald. Bayer, a company within the I.G. Farben conglomerate, was particularly involved, paying an SS physician to test experimental drugs on deliberately infected prisoners.
 
I.G. Farben produced essential materials for the German military, including synthetic oil, rubber, explosives, and aviation fuel, making it critical to the German war effort and the invasion of other countries. The company seized and plundered factories and property in occupied territories during the war. 

As World War II ended, the giant chemical conglomerate I.G. Farben was broken up by the Allies, leading to the colliery being placed under Allied control. The company committed extensive war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the manufacturing of Zyklon B, the poison gas used in the gas chambers for the mass murder of millions of people in concentration camps, primarily Auschwitz-Birkenau.  

The chemical company also endorsed the brutal exploitation of massive amounts of slave labor from concentration camps, including Auschwitz.

After World War II, the Allies seized I.G. Farben’s assets. The subsequent I.G. Farben Trial (officially The United States of America v. Carl Krauch, et al.) took place from August 1947 to July 1948. Twenty-four directors were charged with crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and membership in the SS. 
 
Thirteen of the defendants were found guilty of charges such as plunder and spoliation of property, and imposing slave labor. Sentences ranged from one to eight years in prison, but all convicted individuals were released early by 1951, partly due to Cold War political considerations.
 
In the western zones of Germany, I.G. Farben was broken up into its constituent companies with the goal of preventing a future threat to world peace. These included industry giants like Bayer, BASF, and Hoechst (which later became part of Aventis, now part of Sanofi).

The successor companies eventually contributed to a $5.9 billion fund for compensating former slave laborers and concentration camp inmates. Thr Chemical Plant is still in operation today.

My father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was leading C-Company in the attack of Marl. These are the C-Company soldiers who were killed in action on that advance…

Private First Class Dean Bergeron. Age 25, died March 29, 1945 on the advance to Marl 

Private First Class Alfred D. Stockwell Age 25, died March 29, 1945 on the advance to Marl.

Private First Class Ernie J. Guigar. Age 23, died April 2, 1945 in Marl Germany.

Marl Germany: Augusta Victoria Colliery

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Since Marl Germany was a huge coal mining town in 1945, I set about trying to find the Zeche Augusta Victoria Colliery. I parked along the side of a small farming road and then hiked to where the Colliery used to be. There was a security gate with a chain link fence, and a security camera. I suspect that what remained of the old coal mine was in that secure area. I hiked around the fenced off area and finally decided to sketch this scene which I believe used to be the parking lot for the miners.

The mine was a major employer and producer in the Ruhr area, named after Germany’s last Empress. It became crucial for Germany’s war effort, making it a target for Allied air raids.  Coal could be converted into a cheap diesel fuel that could be used in the tanks.

On March 17, 1945, the Allies bombed the mine causing significant damage to the winding house. The winding house is a steele beam structure that rises above the ground and uses cable to raise and lower the elevator cage that gets miners deep below the earth to work in the coal tunnels.

The mine was to be blown up as part of Nero Decree (German: Nerobefehl), an order issued by Adolf Hitler on March 19, 1945, which commanded the systematic destruction of all German infrastructure to prevent its use by the advancing Allied forces. On the surface, the mine already suffered significant damage from the Allied bombing. To save the mine, a fake explosion was set off, sealing an entry tunnel with ribble. That saved Augusta Victoria from complete destruction. Nazi leadership, was convinced the mine was no longer operational. The Nazi’s were also in a rush to flee, so they did not take the time to check that the destruction was complete. Bridges around Marl were blown as well as overhead tram lines.

In Marl Germany 338 buildings were completely destroyed. 290 were severely destroyed, 1772 were slightly damaged and 57 farms were completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of slave laborers were freed. Slave laborers from POW and slave labor camps, were send down into the mine where they were overworked and starved to death. POWs were released and Volsstrom (People’s Army) were sent home. 

On March 29, 1945  Marl was cleared.

 

 

 

 

Punta Gorda: Christmas Display Rush

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Mike was hard at work, rushing to complete his  Punta Gorda Village Christmas Display by the time the sun set on Thanksgiving. I had seen the incomplete display the evening before with a brief drive by with my sister and her husband and it was already impressive.

I walked over to the display the following morning but all the inflatables were deflated. Mike was adding more lights and he stopped to talk to me for a while. He suggested I come back about 4pm because as the sun set the display would slowly start coming to life.

After a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at the Eagle Lodge I asked to be dropped off at the display. The sun had not set yet and the inflatables were still pancakes on the ground but I started sketching the trailer home. I can’t imagine where all these inflatables and lights are stored after the holidays are over.

Slowly each inflatable appeared as I was sketching. The inflatable at the roof peek was stubborn and refused to stand upright. I sketched it lying back but then Mike climbed a ladder onto the roof and he managed to coax the inflatable to sit upright. I sketched it in both positions.

There was a magical brief moment where the display glowed a bright orange from the setting sun, and then the grey sky grew dark. The Christmas lights turned on and a whole new scene emerged.

47th Annual Winter Park Christmas Concert

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After getting back to the United States from Europe, I started sketching events that returned a feeling of normalcy. I have sketched the Winter Park Christmas Concert multiple times before and returned despite the 30 mile drive to get there. It was dark by the time I got to Winter Park and traffic seemed insane. I took back roads to get to the city hall since I had always found a parking spot there in the past. I started loosing hope of finding a parking spot, the closer I got.

When I found the lot, it was jam packed but I drove up and down the aisles anyway. At the end of the last aisle, there was a single parking spot. I shouted for joy. It was devine providence. I quickly packed up my art bag and walked down Park Avenue towards Central Park where I could hear musicians warming up in the bandshell.

The park was also packed with people in lawn chairs chatting with neighbors. There was no way I would get a sketch of the stage. I decided to sit close to the back of the crowd and draw the Tiffany Windows from the Morse Museum, that were on display. There were four Tiffany windows that stood among the crowd like the monolith from 2001 a Space Odyssey. The windows were surrounded by police tape and each had a docent standing guard. The illuminated windows faced the stage. I thought that it would have made more sense for the to face out towards the audience. Maybe the glow would have interfered with the audience seeing the tiny performers on the stage in the distance.

I set up my artist stool which had served me so well in Europe and leaned back against a utility box facing back looking at the stained glass windows. I start each sketch by writing the date in the lower right hand corner of the sketch. I dug into my pockets for my iPhone. I couldn’t find it. Bloody hell. I use the phone for navigation and have just recently started mounting it above the steering wheel. In Europe, I forgot the phone a couple of times. I developed the habit of taking a photo of where ai parked the car which helped as I searched for the car and it guaranteed I had my phone in hand. Here in Winter Park, I didn’t think to shoot a photo of my magnificent parking spot.

I must have left the phone back in the car. I decided I had to hike back. As I approached my car someone was slowly driving behind me. He rolled down his window and asked if zi was leaving. I apologized and said no. The phone case also held all my credit cards. The last thing ai needed was for someone to walk by and see the glow of the phone along with all the credit cards on display. I got back to the car sweaty. The phone was not over the driving wheel. I tore my art bag apart again looking for it. Could it have fallen out of my pocket between the car and the concert? I started throwing items in the back seat.

Where the hell was it? I flipped both indoor light on and searched under the seats. Ultimately I found the phone lying under my art bag in the passenger seat. Why on earth dit I put it there? In the distance I could hear the introductions starting for the concert. I needed to get back.I rushed back to the park. A family h ad set up where I had sat previously. I sat right behind them to get a similar angle to the sketch I had started which had a square in the lower right hand corner for a date. I filled in the date and started sketching.

The couple seated in the foreground of my sketch were waiting for friends to arrive. When their friends arrived everyone stood and talked throughout the rest of the concert. This scene played out throughout the crowded fields. Few people came for the concert. They came for conversation. In France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany I got used to ignoring the din of conversations in crowded spaces. It was easy since I didn’t understand a word of what was being said. This concert was similar with constant conversation and a hint of Christmas music in the background.

When Silent Night was being performed on stage, I decided that was my cue to consider the sketch complete and head back to the car. With so many people rushing to leave Winter Park, I wanted to be on the road before that back up. I missed the crush of cars and drive 30 miles back to Lake County.

For a sketch like this, I usually arrive early and sketch while there is still light. This time that wasn’t an option. I can only reassure myself that this isn’t the worst drawing I ever did.

Share Your Christmas

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Second Harvest Food Bank teams up with WESH 2 News each holiday season to collect food for the food insecure. This was the 40th Anniversary of Share your Christmas. WESH 2 Executive Producer Marcie Golgoski has been instrumental in making this event which collects canned goods and other food for people for the holidays. Food insecurity has been in the news spotlight thanks to the government shutdown and SNAP delays.

The recent government shutdown in late 2025 caused significant delays and uncertainty for SNAP (food stamp) benefits, especially for November 2025 payments, as federal funding for the program was paused, forcing states to scramble. Some states issued benefits early or in partial amounts, while others faced major backlogs, with payments sometimes resuming only after the shutdown ended and funds were released, leaving many families without food assistance for weeks and relying on food banks.

The WESH 2 parking lot became the collection site for people who drove in to share their food items. The collection event ran from 6am to 1pm. It was still dark as I drove to the news station. It was also surprisingly cold for Central Florida.

Cars and SUVs would pull into the parking lot and then volunteers would lift food items out of the trunk or back hatch. From there the items were carted over to a sorting area. Under the tent items were then assembled into holiday boxes which could feed a family for a week. All those holiday boxes were then stacked on a skid and wrapped in cellophane. The skids must go ont eh 81 wheeler struck at the end of the day.

A news anchor was reporting about the event most of the morning. She interviewed volunteers and shared clips to social media. Her camera crew was busy shooting and assembling footage. At one point ai herald her announce that $2,000 had just been donated to Second Harvest. All the volunteers cheered. Then two Disney movie stars appeared. Chip and Dale skipped in and started waving to the volunteers and posing for photos. Chip would always extent his foot forward, raising his toe and spread his arms. Everyone posed for photos with Chip and Dale. Then the work of sorting and organizing the food items resumed.

When Chip and Dale left the site they looked over at me and gave a shy wave. 

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Marl Germany: Saint George’s Church

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In Marl Germany, I focused my attention on Saint George Church. The church is a catholic parish which, is a significant Catholic parish church known for its impressive Gothic architecture, featuring stone facades, stained glass, and ornate interior details like sculptures, and stained glass windows, serving as a historical and spiritual center in the town.

I find myself sketching catholic churches because my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was raised catholic. He married Elvira Corr who was Methodist. while he was in North Carolina still in boot camp. I was told he was excommunicated for marrying Elvira. Elvira had her first child while Arthur was still in training. Because he was sent off to Europe, he did’t get to see his first child’s formative years. Perhaps he go an occasional photo to watch his daughter grow.

While doing this sketch, a young woman approached me to see how the sketch was going. Our conversation was stilted since I know little German, but I learned that she is also and artist, kunstlerin in German, and she pointed out her studio which can be seen from the church. She had a cute little puppy who was equally curious about me. He sniffed my pallet probably thinking it might be food.

The advance into Marl in late March and early April 1945 encountered stubborn German resistance from the German 80th Infantry and 116th Panzer divisions. The 75th Infantry Division would have encountered Anti Aircraft fire from versatile 88mm Flak cannons and the lighter 20mm Flak cannons which were frequently  used against infantry and ground targets in WWII due to their high explosive shells, rapid fire, and adaptability. A soldier hit with one of these shells would not just be injured, he would explode. The fighting involved fierce house to house combat.

The company town of Marl, had coal mining and the Chemische Werke Hüls (CWK) chemical plant, with both feeding the German war effort. Under Nazi rule, Marl saw persecution of its Jewish residents. Across Germany as a whole, it is estimated that between 160,000 and 180,000 German Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. 

The intense fighting in and around the German town of Marl during the Ruhr Pocket campaign, led to significant Allied casualties, with thousands dying in the Ruhr, which highlights the high cost of breaking into Germany. The 75th Infantry captured Marl in mid-April 1945.

The encircled German forces fought desperately in urban areas and forests. Large numbers of German soldiers were surrendering. In the Ruhr Pocket there were to be over 300,000 POWs. About 100 Germans soldiers were killed in the battle for Marl as well as 500 civilian deaths. Large numbers of German soldiers disguised themselves as civilians, but most were caught after capture and interrogation.

 

Marl Germany: Memorial at Saint Georges Church

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Marl, Germany, was a key industrial town centered around the Chemiche Werk Huls, a massive chemical plant built by IG Farben to produce a synthetic ribber and fuel for the Nazi war machine. Mark therefor became a major target for Allied bombing raids, especially in 1943, leading to heavy damage. The chemical plant used forced labor. The Allies captured Marl on March 31, 1945.

In Marl Germany, I went to the Saint George Church to sketch. On the back side of the church, I found this memorial for World War I, and World War II. A knight is seen stabbing the throat of a dragon.

After the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Infantry Division took Dorsten Germany on March 31, 1945, the 75th Infantry pushed east towards Marl Germany. Private Dean Bergeron of C-Company of the 75th Infantry Division was killed in action on that advance to Marl. Dean Bergeron died on March 29, 1945. Dean was the third soldier my father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken lost from his command of C-Company.

On April 1, 1945, the 290th Infantry Division was ordered to relieve the 8th Armored Division and attack through their lines toward the 75th Infantry objectives to the East. With the enemy in sight, two division objectives were taken in a few hours. Marl is about 7 miles East of Dorsten.

Throughout the entire action the German 116th Panzer Division employed its tanks piecemeal in support of infantry elements. By so doing, the 116 Panzer Division lost the ability to launch a formidable counter-attack, while the small groups of platoon size that were committed could hope to slow down the Allied advance only temporarily.

On April 1, 1945, the 290th Infantry Division was ordered to relieve the 8th Armored Division and attack through their lines toward the 75th Infantry objectives to the East. With the enemy in sight, two division objectives were taken in a few hours. Marl is about 7 miles East of Dorsten Germany.

A Christmas Carol at the Shakes

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I went to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater to get a sketch of A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens and adapted by Jim Helsinger. I asked to be seated on a back row since my sketzching might be distracting to anyone seated around me. The woman at the Will Call window recognized my name and she said, “Oh you are our artist!” I was meeting someone from Second Harvest Food Bank at the theater to drop off a painting I had done for the organization. She was right there when I turned around, which surprised me since I usually expect to wait around when meeting someone. Checking in for the show, the volunteer scanned my ticket and then said, “You know I sat behind you once in the theater and loved watching you work.” Maybe I am over concerned about being clandestine when I create on location.

Walking through the lobby of the Shakes is rewarding since all my posters created for the season hang on the walls and are projected o n wide screen TVs. Jim Helsinger created a children’s book from A Christmas Carol. He had called me while I was exploring the route of the 75th Infantry in Europe. My mind was full of battle plans and getting sketches done in any kind of weather. Unfortunately I missed the chance to illustrate the book, since Jim wanted to finish the book by Christmas. I knew he planned to keep copies of the book in the Shakespeare gift shop, so I stopped in to flip through the pages. The book had been delayed at the printer so it want available yet. If you get to go to a future show check it out for yourself.

When I started drawing the set, I felt like it resembled the poster I had created. Thr windows and door were arranged in the same way, and the faint hint of London chimneys  became larger and bolder on stage. This might be coincidence but I felt delighted. That section of the stage also could rotates on a turntable revealing other settings like Scrooges office and the interior of his bedroom.

The show has several musical numbers besides Christmas songs and the cast has some really talented singers. The narration moved the show along at a fast clip. The scene with the door knocker turning into zmarley’s face was done with a digital screen, perhaps from an iPad. It was impressive and could be seen from the very back row where I was seated.

When doing a sketch it is always hard to decide which scene to sketch. Since I know the story of A Christmas Carol, I decided to sketch the three ghosts who visit Scrooge, Christmas Past, Present and Future. No actually I skipped the ghost of Christmas future which was huge and would have dominated the scene. I sketched Marley instead. Marley is pivotal in relating the theme of the show which is that greed imprisons the soul while kindness and empathy bring joy in this hard life especially at the Christmas season. This show helped me feel the glow of the Christmas season for the first time.

At the end of the show, the cast had the entire audience were singing along with a christmas carol. Getting to harmonize with such talent is a delight. I left the theater glowing. If you get a chance to see this show, it will ignite the christmas spirit in even the darkest soul.

A Christmas Carol is on stage at the Shakes through December 24, 2025. Tickets can be found on the Shakes website.