Recently, Lynn Herlihy of the Essex Histroical Society asked "Bud" Lovell, a well-known Essex resident, how he had the courage to fly a B-25 in World War II. He laughed.

"I was a kid, we were all 18 years old and we were kids," he said.

Herlihy said, "Before my eyes, this charming octogenarian became 18 again. He told me how he learned to fly in a trainer and, after only seven hours of flying, his instructor said he was ready to fly a plane."

Lovell is one of several veterans from World War II, Vietnam, and Iraq wars-combat and non-combat veterans-who will be "living history" at Hill's Academy on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. In the morning, Hill's Academy, which is owned by the historical society, will be open to the public to view an exhibit of memorabilia from the society's archives. There will be documents and artifacts from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II showing Essex

civilian participation during the war. There will also be Japanese, French, and Philippine mementoes; medals; books; and toy soldiers from around the world.

The society is inviting parents to bring their children to Hill's Academy, since there is no school that day. It is a chance for children to view and touch some of the unusual items on display. Carol Young, a society member, has developed hand-outs for the children designed to encourage discussion and learning.

"It will all be informal and unstructured. Old and young will find lots to learn," Herlihy said.

Spies and Snoopers

In the evening, there will be two speakers at a program at the Essex Yacht Club. One will be Specialist Q CR 1/C Mary Barbara Brennan, now known by her married name Dannaher. She was a cryptographer who worked and lived in WAVE Quarters "D" in Washington, D.C. She was part of a top-secret program known as JN25. The project's responsibility was to work on and break the Japanese code during World

War II. It was highly successful and was responsible for saving many lives. She had kept her vow of silence until the project became public knowledge and now she has agreed to share her story.

Staff Sergeant Engineer/Top Turret Gunner Caleb Penniman, an Essex resident, will also share his experiences. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later separated into the Air Force. Penniman was part of the 868th-the "Snoopers"-in the Philippines. When he finished, he had flown 430 combat hours in his B-24.

He said, "We were all so young and felt bulletproof".

Both events are free and open to the public on Nov. 11. The exhibit is open 11:30 a.m. to

2 p.m. at Hill's Academy, Prospect Street. For the evening program, speakers will present from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Essex Yacht Club, Novelty Lane. There will be a cash bar. The exhibit at Hill's Academy will also be open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15.