Galesburg author Tom Colclasure joins Galesburg’s Morning News for a in-studio interview about his new book Spokes of the Wheel — a 25-year labor of love that began in the summer of 1998 when he sat down to record the World War II stories of his grandfather, Henry Raymond Colclasure, a decorated paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.
After Henry passed away that November, Tom kept going: tracking down the men who jumped with him, walking their battlefields in Europe in 2023, and discovering dozens of astonishing WWII stories that all connect right back to our community.
In this conversation, Tom shares:
- Why Galesburg is the “hub” and the veterans and civilians touched by the war are the “spokes”
- The Pearl Harbor survivor who lived here
- The German soldier from Stalingrad who spent years in a Soviet gulag — then settled in Galesburg
- The Knox College professor sent to an American internment camp
- The Red Ball Express driver racing supplies across France
- Finding an unmarked hill in Holland where a Galesburg paratrooper fought for his life
Spokes of the Wheel is available now at
- Wordsmith Bookshoppe — 225 E. Main St., Galesburg
- Amazon
Upcoming events with the author:
- Book signing — Saturday, Nov. 22, 4:30-7 p.m. at Budde’s Pizza & Spirits, 425 E. Main St., Galesburg
- Presentation and slideshow — Tuesday, Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m. at Galesburg Public Library, 264 W. Main St.
- Local Author Book Fair — Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the library
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