Freedom's Servants: World War II Era Veterans' Stories (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781720517498)

"Freedom's Servants" collects the still vivid memories of WWII Veterans as they recount their experiences in that war; experiences that were to influence their life paths over the seven-plus decades since the war. Though mostly teens, their service ranged from one momentous day of active duty to eighteen months of confinement in a German POW camp; where in every case, they served with honor and patriotic pride. No bitterness was part of their stories, regardless of any ongoing physical impact the war had on their lives. For them, duty and honor reigned, and reigns still. Humor was one of their survival weapons, even in the bleakest of times. That humor quickly bubbled up as they retold their stories and, has been delightfully captured in the accounts. The stories were largely extracted during personal interviews and their words were embedded in the stories. The stories are very much in their spirit, and often in their voices. Mostly Midwesterners, they frequently came from rural backgrounds; but, thanks to the GI Bill, they became entrepreneurs, engineers, physicians and artists of national renown. Stories cut across all book genres, as we read of a passionate romance interrupted for 45 years by the war. The story of a 19-year old assigned to the top secret planning of the D-Day invasion of Normandy conveys the humility that such enormous responsibility instilled. A GI, who became a nationally recognized artist, described in vivid colors and emotions, a non-denominational communion service led by a Chaplain before a battle. Tongue in cheek, another relates his emotional attachment to a massive military weapon. The deprivations of three-months in a foxhole become vivid in another story. The wartime service of women in uniforms, and in training, give important insights into the vital roles women played in the great conflict, and how those experiences moved them toward their careers in peacetime. Stateside memories touch on the children left at home and the teachers who taught the children with absent parents. One voice is that of a woman describing her rescue after four years of confinement in a forced-labor camp in Germany. This is not a dry history, but a personal glimpse of the WWII-era service of very young men and women, who, coming out of the Depression, had to put their lives on hold. This book is a perfect introduction to the WWII era for readers of all ages as it's focused on personal stories. Young people will be inspired to see how those, who were mostly teens, like themselves, responded in a time of great national peril and risk. War, the ultimate school of hard knocks rapidly instilled character and skill into the teenage draftees and, coupled with their dependable work-ethic, shaped them for a future they could not have foreseen when they were in high school. The story of Freedom's Servants will make all readers want to be even better citizens.

Author: Maggy Spencer,Douglas M. Mattox
ISBN-10: 1720517495
ISBN-13: 9781720517498
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 07/04/2018
Pages: 132
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.41lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.28d