"The Silver King's War" is a podcast series of World War II plays (The Silver King, Marauder Men, Serviceman and Who Is Della) based on true events about a young man, Stanley Silverfield, who joins the United States Army Air Corps to serve his country as a Martin Marauder B-26 Bombardier flying in the 9th Air Force. Stanley wrote letters to his family throughout World War II from January 1943 to October 1945. An exploration of his war letters, “Dearest Ones,” follows the four plays. The seri ...
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Send us a text This bonus episode is the conclusion of The Silver King's War podcast series. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War, talks about his family's history and twelve years of research & writing to build the podcast. Throughout the series listeners asked about Stanley's life after his Second World War.…
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Send us a text This episode is scene five of The Sievers, the third play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's summer 1960 on Gregg Road. During a spectacular & busy season of Glencoe Beach visits and little league games, Stanley & Shirley share difficult, important news with Michael & Cindy. The family is leaving Northbrook for Rockford,…
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Send us a text As The Silverfields of Northbrook and the entire podcast series reaches its conclusion later this month, this bonus episode offers a brief, final review of Stanley Silverfield's life as the Silver King during his Second World War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War reviews his father's story a…
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Send us a text This episode is scene four in The Sievers, the third play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's early winter 1960 on Gregg Road. A heavy snow storm has hit the cul-de-sac as Stanley prepares to make sales calls. First, however, he calls Northbrook's city hall to have a public works crew clear the snow from the driveway's ed…
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Send us a text This episode is the third scene in The Sievers, the final play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's early June 1959. Michael Silverfield visits Chicago and joins his uncle, Norman Gordon and almost-cousin Scott Fleischman, for a memorable Friday night Standard Club Father & Son event, including a White Sox game against the…
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Send us a text This episode is the second scene in The Sievers, the third play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. Michael Silverfield played five seasons in the Northbrook Little League: two in the minors, three in the big time. His pitching hero was Sandy Koufax, a Jewish lefty with a lethal fastball. The April 13, 1964, Sports Illustrated…
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Send us a text This episode is the first scene of The Sievers, the third play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's summer 1959. Cindy Silverfield is the family's Beautiful Swimmer, a powerful child churning through Lake Michigan's white cap curls. She's eight, a happy sun princess who loves the Glencoe Beach excursions. Michael G. Siever…
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Send us a text This episode introduces The Sievers, the final play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. This is the family's last glorious summer on Gregg Road. Stanley accepts a large new sales territory for Bailey's Beauty Supplies in northern Illinois. The family moves to Rockford, Illinois, and on October 7, 1960, and becomes the Sievers.…
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Send us a text This episode follows the conclusion of Wrigley Days, the second play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy, with a special reading by the young narrator, Michael Silverfield. Thirty years after the Bears won the 1963 NFL Championship, beating the New York Giants & Quarterback Y.A. Tittle, 14-10, the team fired its head coach, Mik…
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Send us a text This episode is the final scene in Wrigley Days, the second play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's November 1959. The Bailey & Gordon families have Bears' season tickets. Norman Gordon invites Stanley & Michael Silverfield to join his group for the Packers v. Bears game at Wrigley Field. It's Vince Lombardi's first year…
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Send us a text This episode is the fourth scene in Wrigley Days, the second play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's fall 1958. The World Series is over and the Gregg Road footballers are preparing for a weekend game in the Levy's backyard. Much of the conversation throughout every contest was about the Monsters of the Midway, the might…
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Send us a text This episode is Scene three in Wrigley Days, the second play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's late summer 1958. Cindy Silverfield, 7, visits Aunt Phyllis Gordon (Shirley's older sister) in Chicago as they shop for just the right Hula Hoop. Aunt Phyllis buys Cindy a bright blue hoop and they ride the Sheridan Road bus n…
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Send us a text This episode is the second scene in Wrigley Days, the second play of The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. Each summer, Michael & Cindy enjoyed a family day with the Bernsteins & Gordons at their respective country clubs, Green Acres and Bryn Mawr. The clubs represented prosperity & opportunity for Jewish families who were excluded…
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Send us a text This episode is the first scene in Wrigley Days, the second play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's summer 1956. The family visits Glencoe Beach, a short drive east from Gregg Road over the Edens Expressway to Lake Michigan's edge. Each summer throughout the Silverfields' Northbrook years, the family owns a public beach …
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Send us a text This episode is the introduction to Wrigley Days, the second play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. Chicago's Wrigley Field, an iconic sports venue, was home to the Silverfield's favorite teams, the Cubs and Bears, the Monsters of the Midway. Those were the years of Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus and…
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Send us a text This episode is scene five in The Suburbs, the first play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's spring 1956. Stanley has a new job selling wholesale beauty supplies for his uncles, Abe & Joe Bailey, owners of Bailey's Beauty Supplies in Chicago. Abe Bailey is married to Sara Belle's sister, Rose. The Silverfields, excited a…
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Send us a text This episode is scene four in the first play, The Suburbs, in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's late summer 1955. The family has moved from Chicago's lake front to Northbrook, a growing north shore suburb. The Silverfields have met the Krauss family. Now they meet their one-house-over neighbors: Kal, Jeanne, Frank (Skip) &…
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Send us a text This episode is scene three in the first play, The Suburbs, in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. It's early summer 1955. The family has moved from Chicago's lake front to Northbrook, a growing north shore suburb. The Silverfields meet their new, immediate neighbors: Hyman, Frances, Jimmy, Elaine & Stanton Krauss. The families s…
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Send us a Text Message. This episode is scene two in The Suburbs, the first play in The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. The family prepares to leave Chicago as they visit their new Northbrook home. It's summer 1955. They tour their Gregg Road home with amazement and joy. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's Wa…
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Send us a text This episode is the opening scene of The Suburbs, the first play in the The Silverfields of Northbrook trilogy. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War, introduces the scene as he reflects on the family's fun-filled suburban life from 1955 to 1960. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please rev…
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The Silverfields of Northbrook Introduction
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Send us a text This episode introduces The Silverfields of Northbrook, a trilogy of plays about the Silver King's family from 1955 to 1960 in the burgeoning suburbs north of Chicago. The plays: 1)The Suburbs, 2) Wrigley Days and 3) The Sievers, follow Stanley, Shirley, Michael & Cindy Silverfield through their lives in a new home & neighborhood on …
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Send us a text This episode is Stanley's transition finale from soldier to civilian. It begins in 1946 and explores his new job as a production engineer for Acme Paper Box Manufacturing in Chicago. Lee Bernstein, his brother-in-law, owns the company. The Silver King is now a member of the country's Reserve Officers Corps at the behest of President …
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Stanley's Transition: Heller, Stanley and Sammy Singer
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Send us a text This episode completes Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian. It's December 1945. The Silver King has arrived in Chicago to live with the Bernsteins as he begins his job as a production engineer at the Acme Paperbox Manufacturing Co. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War podcast series, r…
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Send us a text This episode continues following Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian. It's November 1945. Stanley's enjoying his Birmingham return as an Air Corps veteran, and prepares for life in Chicago as a production engineer for the Acme Paperbox Manufacturing Company, owned by Lee Bernstein's family. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, p…
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Send us a text This special bonus episode is about Phyllis M. Gordon, the family's famous & most-favorite aunt. She was a Red Cross volunteer who served in Europe during World War II. Born in April 1913, Phyllis graduated from Northwestern University and lived a full life in Chicago. Kelly Sievers reads excerpts from Phyllis' war letters. Michael G…
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Stanley's Transition: The New Yorker Magazine
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Send us a Text Message. This bonus episode about The New Yorker magazine, its context & history, is part of Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian. It's October 1945. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War podcast series, reviews how the magazine influenced his life & writing. His favorite aunt, Phyllis G…
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Send us a text This bonus episode continues Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian with an April 1982 New York Times Magazine story about Dame Rebecca West. Stanley was 59; Dame West was 89. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War podcast series, shares background on the context for those who wrote about W…
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Stanley's Transition: Birch Leaves Falling
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Send us a text This bonus episode includes a New Yorker Magazine (October 26, 1946) story by Dame Rebecca West about the Nuremberg Trials. Dame West traveled to Nuremberg, Germany, to cover & write about the conclusion of the first major trials. Published one year after Stanley's train ride home to Birmingham, Alabama, it completes an important con…
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Stanley's Transition: The Nuremberg Trials
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Send us a text This bonus episode continues Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian. As Stanley leaves active duty in October 1945, and rides the train home to Birmingham, Alabama, the Nuremberg Trials begin in Germany. The trials, conducted in Nuremberg's Palace of Justice, prosecuted the Second World War's war criminals. Four allied nations…
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Stanley's Transition: Soldier to Civilian
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Send us a text This episode begins Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian. He rides a train home from Ft. McPherson, Georgia, to Birmingham, Alabama. He completes a ride that began on a train from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee, on January 10, 1943. Now, thirty-three months later, it's mid-October 1945. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, pr…
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Send us a text This is episode fifteen in the final review of The Silver King's War. It's October 1945. Stanley has arrived at the U. S. Army Air Corps Separation Center at Fort McPherson, Georgia. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's final days & paperwork to leave active duty. His total f…
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Stanley's War Review: War Department Memo
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Send us a text This is episode fourteen in the final review of The Silver King's War. It's September 1945. Stanley makes his second Atlantic Crossing, this one from Antwerp, Belgium, to New York Harbor. The European war ended in early May and his four-month wait is finally over. When he reaches the states, Stanley learns that he's not quite done wi…
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Stanley’s War Review: Little Boy & Fat Man
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Send us a text This is episode thirteen in the final review of The Silver King's War. It's August 1945. Stanley has been waiting for news about when he'll ship for home. During his wait, the war in the Pacific ends with the delivery of atomic weapons over Japan (Hiroshima & Nagasaki) on August 6 & 9. Japan agrees to an unconditional surrender on Au…
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Stanley’s War Review: Three Days in Brussels
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Send us a text This is episode twelve in the final review of The Silver King's War. It's mid-May 1945. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of the podcast series, reviews his father's war. Stanley is cooling off from his front-page temple bulletin status as he celebrates letters from his pilot & co-pilot, Jack Festi & Jim Fomby, Jr. T…
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Send us a text This is episode eleven in the final review of The Silver King's War. It's April 1945 (first published on Father's Day 2023). Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war. The month is full of adventures and revelations. Stanley & his crew made an emergency landing near an Ameri…
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Send us a text This is the tenth episode of the final review of The Silver King's War. It's March 1945 and the busiest month of Stanley's war. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war. Stanley, who finally has his silver bars as a First Lieutenant, flew 13 missions in 31 days and earned h…
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Stanley's War Review: Promotion of Officer
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Send us a text This is episode nine in the final review of The Silver King's War. It's January 1945. The weather is bitter cold and flying is limited as Stanley sits by the fire to write letters home and enjoy Ida Mae's chocolate-chip cookies. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war as S…
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Send us a text This is episode eight in the final review of The Silver King's War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war as a B-26 Bombardier. The A-72 base supported Pathfinder missions to guide bomber crews to success via the Oboe System. The German Army began a surprise counter atta…
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Stanley's War Review: Once There Was A War
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16:44
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Send us a text This is episode seven (first published on Memorial Day 2023) of the final review of The Silver King's War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war. It's late October 1944. Stanley & his crew have arrived at A-72 north of Paris. The 597th unit history for December 1944, rec…
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Send us a Text Message. This is episode six in the final review of The Silver King's War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war. It's late June 1944. Stanley's training to fly the B-26, Martin Marauder, at Barksdale Army Air Base, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Barksdale is home to the 2nd …
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Send us a text This is episode five of the final review of Stanley's War. It's January 1944 and The Silver King graduates from Bomber School in Carlsbad, New Mexico. He's now a 2nd Lt. in the U. S. Army Air Corps. Then it's five months for advance training at Columbia Army Air Base in South Carolina. As the allies invade Europe on D- Day with Opera…
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Send us a text This is the fourth episode of the final review of The Silver King's War. It's January 1943. Stanley rides a train to Nashville for Army Air Corps cadet classification testing. He's classified for pilot training at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama. As Stanley reaches pilot school in Lakeland, Florida, the allies prepare for the Si…
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Stanley's War Review: Executive Order 9066
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19:45
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Send us a text This is the third episode of the final review of The Silver King's War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war. It's 1942, FDR signed Executive 0rder 9066 on February 19. Thousands of Japanese Americans were forced from their homes to inland internment camps. John Steinbe…
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Stanley's War Review: The Selective Service Act
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Send us a text This is the second episode of the final review of The Silver King's War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews Stanley academic life as he becomes a University of Illinois freshman in September 1940. France fell to Germany in June, and FDR, running for a third term, signed the Selective …
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Send us a text This is the first episode of the final review of The Silver King's War. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews the nation's history ahead of his father's war. The context considers Glenn L. Martin's national status, a history of the B-26 Martin Marauder, and discusses major events before …
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Send us a text This episode, first published on the Silver King's birthday centennial (April 23, 2023), is the conclusion of the "Dearest Ones" epilogue. Our hero, the Silver King, wrote hundreds of letters to his family throughout World War Two. It's September 1945 and Stanley is waiting for a ride home from his war. He wrote two descriptive, thou…
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Send us a text This episode is Part Forty-One of the "Dearest Ones" epilogue. It's August 1945 and the Silver King remains in France, waiting for a ride home to his family in Birmingham, Alabama. It may be a ship to New York harbor or a flight to Miami. He hasn't received any mail in a month. He's bored, frustrated and gaining points as he waits (7…
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Dearest Ones Epilogue: Good Night from France
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Send us a text This episode is Part Forty in the epilogue for "Dearest Ones," the letters that The Sliver King wrote to his family throughout the Second World War. It's July 1945. Michael G. Sievers, the series creator, reflects on his dad's summer stories. Our hero battles the boredom and uncertainty about his future. He dreams of football games a…
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Dearest Ones Epilogue: Ida's Hot Biscuits
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Send us a text This episode is Part Thirty-Nine in the epilogue for "Dearest Ones," the letters that The Silver King wrote throughout the war. It's June 1945. Michael G. Sievers, the King's narrator, reflects on his father's June activities. Stanley battles boredom with thoughts of Paris and home. The mail is stalled due to a classic snafu. The Col…
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Dearest Ones Epilogue: Paris, Brussels & City Stories
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Send us a text This episode is Part Thirty-Eight of the "Dearest Ones" epilogue, the letters Stanley wrote to his family throughout the Second World War. It's a special discussion of The Silver King's writing about Paris and Brussels, and the development of "City Stories," a writing course that Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of …
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