Chad Pillai
Bio
Military Officer, World Traveler, and Author.
Stories (36)
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Normandy, France
If you have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, the first ten minutes of the beach landing were traumatic for those who watched it, especially for WWII veterans. One of those veterans was my childhood barber, Ernie Barone, a U.S. Coast Guard Amphibious Corps member who drove the landing ships full of Soldiers onto the beaches on January 6, 1944 (D-Day).
By Chad Pillai9 months ago in Wander
TALLINN, ESTONIA
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Tallinn, Estonia, for work. Estonia is a small Baltic Sea nation that borders Russia and Latvia and is south of Finland across the Gulf of Finland. Estonia’s history includes foreign occupation by Germany, Sweden, and Russia (including the Soviet Union) until its independence in 1991. In 2004, Estonia joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Estonia became one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies and, since then, has provided Ukraine with more than 1.4% of its GDP in military assistance. Estonia’s history provided context for my travel and observations in Tallinn, the nation’s capital.
By Chad Pillai11 months ago in Wander
POLAND
This past week, I had the opportunity to travel to Poland for work. As a result, my opportunity to see the sights was limited to the evenings. However, I was impressed by what I saw and what I ate while there. My job had me travel to three different locations: Warsaw, Poznan, and Szczecin. Below, I will briefly describe each area and what some of the key landmarks were. First, let me provide a quick historical overview of the significance of Poland today.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
THE BALTIC SEA REGION
In August, I took the opportunity to drive up to the Baltic Sea region and cross the Danish Straits, one of the world's strategic maritime chokepoints. Despite being in Germany from 2004 to 2007 and recently since 2022, this trip was my first time heading north toward Denmark. As a fan of the historical dramas Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla, I looked forward to the area that inspired those shows. On a long weekend, I plotted my trip north that would include Hamburg, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Malmö, Sweden.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
Story of a Madman
On December 18, 1918, I returned from France after completing my service as a medic and witnessing the horrors that the Great War inflicted upon the men and women of my generation. The physical evidence of the war was everywhere, with returning veterans who had missing limbs or the vast number who had gone and never returned. However, the non-visible wounds to the mind were less apparent, and many who suffered were sadly committed to institutions such as Leavesden Hospital in the south of London.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Horror
Barcelona and Sitges
Almost twenty years ago, I visited Barcelona for the first time in search of my family roots. Last year, my family and I visited Malaga and Marbella, Spain. This year, I took my wife and daughter on our second trip to Spain this past May to visit Barcelona.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
Luzerne, Switzerland
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to travel and enjoy the beautiful lakeside city of Luzern (Lucerne) in Switzerland with my family. I had traveled through the area before when I drove from Germany to Italy but never had the opportunity to stop and appreciate the area's beauty.
By Chad Pillaiabout a year ago in Wander
London Calling
Twenty-four years ago, I departed London after having spent a semester abroad. My time in London was a formative experience since it was my first time living abroad and being away from my family. My first week was spent at the college in Uxbridge, now named Brunel University, in northwestern London, which partnered with the State University of New York, College of Brockport, in upstate New York. The first week in the university dorms allowed the students to search for an apartment or flat in British vernacular and get accustomed to British culture, including the Pub Culture and eating plenty of "Fish and Chips."
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Wander
Haunted Rumors
I heard the rumors. More accurately, whispers. No one wanted to speak of the ancient ruins atop the hill. Out of curiosity, when I asked folks in town, all I received were frightened or angry looks with comments under their breath. I was the new naive person in town, unaware of the town’s history and lore.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Fiction
Malaga and Marbella, Spain
In 2004, I took the opportunity to visit Girona and Barcelona, Spain. I returned to Spain with my wife and daughter almost twenty years later. There were two motivations for visiting Spain this past August. First, my daughter missed the beaches on the Florida Gulf Coast, and Spain's Costa del Sol region met her wishes. Second, my wife and daughter both took DNA tests, and the results showed, like mine, that most of our ancestry came from Spain and Portugal.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Wander
PARIS
This past 4th of July weekend, my family and I took a road trip to Paris to see the sights. This was my third time visiting and my wife’s second; however, it would be my 13-year-old daughter’s first. Before the trip, we planned and reserved tickets for some of the main attractions in the city. We departed Germany on a Friday afternoon and drove through the beautiful countryside. Along the way, we passed Saarbrucken as we entered France. The route took us passed Metz and Reims. Additionally, we drove by several WWI battlefields, including Meuse-Argonne and Verdun. Around 5 pm, we entered the outskirts of Paris, and the traffic reminded us of New York City. We arrived at the La Villa Maillot Hotel, within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe.
By Chad Pillai2 years ago in Wander
Strasbourg, France
My wife and I took a day trip from Wiesbaden, Germany, to Strasbourg, France, in early February. We had heard from friends that Strasbourg was a beautiful city across the German and French border with lots of charm and history. Additionally, Strasbourg is home to the European Union's Parliament.
By Chad Pillai3 years ago in Wander
