About the Author

Suzanne Simon Dietz is the historian for the Aero Club of Buffalo and the Town of Porter in New York State. She has lectured on local history topics and in particular German prisoners of war held at Fort Niagara in the Town of Porter during World War II. Dietz is the authorized biographer of Dutch Van Kirk, the last living crewman of the Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which helped bring an end to World War II. Mrs. Dietz researches and writes for the Niagara Aerospace Museum. She has contributed to several books on Niagara County and numerous local history publications. The author's father, the late John Victor Simon, served during the Second World War as a scout in the United States Army with the 353rd Infantry Regiment, 89th Infantry Division, and her brother-in-law Thomas Wayne Frain served with the United States Marines during the Vietnam War.