Apr 29

Apr 29 Mike Parker: “A Snapshot of Kinston & Lenoir County during WWII” debuts May 10

“A Snapshot of Kinston & Lenoir County During WWII,” Cliff Tyndall’s eagerly anticipated new book, will debut on Friday, May 10, with a series of activities hosted by the Queen Street Deli. The book signing will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Events will include a display of World War II artifacts, including uniforms, military gear and equipment, and original Kinston post cards, photos, and period publications in the “library room” at the QSD.

An original 1943 US Army Jeep parked in front of the restaurant on Queen Street and uniformed WWII “soldiers” will greet visitors to the signing. The author, Cliff Tyndall, will be on hand to sign his new book and talk with interested individuals about the display items, as well as answer questions about local WWII history.

“A Snapshot of Kinston & Lenoir County During WWII” is Tyndall’s fifth book detailing the history of eastern North Carolina. His last book was “A Snapshot of Kinston & Lenoir County During the Civil War,” released in 2022, has been a local best seller.

Like its predecessor, this new book is an in-depth history of the city and county during the years of WWII. Chapters describe wartime Kinston (including a map), Lenoir County agriculture, the men and women from Lenoir County who served in the military, the Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield at Kinston, life in wartime Kinston and Lenoir County, and the end of the war.

Of particular note is the section on Kinston’s popularity as a leave destination for thousands of WWII service members military installations in eastern North Carolina.

Cliff spent a year visiting various record repositories and collections, including the National Archives in Atlanta, GA, and the State Archives of NC in Raleigh. He also examined digital records via the National Archives in College Park, MD, and scoured microfilmed editions of the WWII-era “Kinston Daily Free Press.” The author interviewed various individuals who either lived during WWII or had knowledge of events from the period.

The book is highly visual, presenting hundreds of WWII-era photographs, charts, and maps. The information is detailed but written in a readable style that will hold the interest of both casual readers and history buffs.

“I’m really excited about the release of this book,” Cliff said. “It fills a void in local history, and those interested in the WWII era will enjoy reading it. I think it’s a fascinating story.”

Cliff, a native of Lenoir County, now resides in Wilmington with his wife and a clowder of felines. He is a retired history and geography professor from Bladen Community College. He now specializes in historical research, with a particular interest in the Second World War.

During his tenure at BCC, Cliff’s peers selected him as “Instructor of the Year” and

awarded him “Teaching in Excellence” award for his Interactive Television (ITV) courses. In addition to his tenure at BCC, Tyndall taught various courses for East Carolina University, Southeastern Community College, Caldwell Community College, and Lenoir Community College.

Prior to teaching college full-time, Tyndall worked for the North Carolina Department of

Cultural Resources, Historic Sites Section, in addition to working with the National Park Service,

North Carolina State Parks, and serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Cliff earned a BA in History from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MA in History from East

Carolina University. He took additional courses at UNC-Wilmington. Post-college, he

completed the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA, and graduated from the US Army Infantry Officers Basic Course.

Mark your calendar for May 10. Seize this opportunity to meet and greet this accomplished historian and learn about our local history.

Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.

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