Interview: Wife of Submarine Vet Shares Experiences

Hi! I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary!  I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome Mary Nida Smith.

As the wife of a submariner, she lived through many troubled day. Her husband, Melvin T, Smith, was one of these honorable men. He is a lifetime member of the USS Submarine Veterans Inc., (Holland Club) and the Vice Commander of the USS Submarine Veterans Base, Mountain Home, Arkansas and also former member of the Idaho Spuds-USS Submarine Veterans of WWII and the Northwest Regions/Idaho/Montana/Oregon/Washington. Through it all, she stuck by him—and wrote.

Mary Nida Smith, author, freelance writer, poet and photographer has lived in several states, submitting and publishing in local magazines and newspapers. Magazines: The Ozarks Mountaineer, Ozarks, Arkansas Living, Good Old Days, Polaris (WWII), Grit, Northwest Living (Field Editor), Storyteller (photographed cover), Salute, Journal of the Ozarks and contributed to the anthologies Echoes of the Ozarks and Women in Nature. Newspapers: Magic Valley Farm Lines (South Idaho Press-Clark newspapers), Port Orchard Independent (Washington- weekly column), Ozark Mountain News (Mountain Home, AR), and Oregon Journal (Portland - book reviews). Newsletters: U.S. Submarine of Veterans of WWII (Arkansas Diamond Chapter), Salute, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI- Australia), SCBWI-Missouri, SCBWI-Arkansas, Ozarks Writers League (OWL), and Missouri Writers Guild.

1. What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? Nonfiction, but I do write other genres.
2. What made you want to be a writer? My first/second grade teacher said she liked my stories. I had lots of sisters and brothers I use to tell stories to, since we had no books in the house.
3. Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? Jesus. Most were songs since we were a singing family.
4. What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why?  I outline in my head and then put it on paper. That’s what storytellers do.
5. Do you write every day? How much? How long? I don’t write every day. I put words down every day. Sometimes they find themselves in a story or book.
6. Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? Yes, that helps you learn.
7. What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Write, be yourself, don’t listen to naysayers and never give up.
8. Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Be the best sales person you can be; if you’ve ever worked in retail stores you would have had to, or you may lose your job. Be kind to everyone.
9. Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? Yes! Weekend retreats, workshops and conferences are great for making contacts, and learning from each other and speakers. Most of all, for me was to build confidence and to know I wasn’t dumb or silly to reach for my dream of being a writer.
10. Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? Just Google me and my books and blogs all come up. My latest nonfiction is, Heroes Beneath the Waves: Submarine Stories of the Twentieth Century, which I dedicated to my loving husband, Melvin, who went on “eternal patrol” November 2015. http://submarinestories.blogspot.com  Mary Nida Smith Events  Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/mary-nida-smith

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net  www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

----- 
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Military Writers Society of America Reviews Angel of Bataan

Title: Marcia Gates: Angel of Bataan
Author: Melissa Bowersock
Web: www.newmoonrising.net
Genre: non-fiction, biography, historical
ISBN: 1460973194
Book Trailer:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym4AmLynvfo&feature=g-upl

Reviewed by Edward Kelly for Military Writers Society of America's Dispatches E-Zine


Author's SummaryMarcia Gates was an Army nurse and prisoner of war during WWll. As an "Angel of Bataan," she spent three years in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines. This is her story, told through her letters and the newspaper clippings, photos and letters collected by her mother. Melissa Bowersock is the niece of Marcia Gates.

---

MWSA ReviewThis is the true story of a nurse, Marcia Gates, during World War II and her experiences during the battle of Bataan and three years as a prisoner of war. But it is more than that because this story also relates how the families at home were feeling- frustrated and concerned about their lack of information about Marcia and her safety.

This book is easy to read and many will find it difficult to put down as one wants to know- does Marcia make it home? The format is also augmented by actual letters written by Marcia, other nurses and from family members to Marcia. It may be difficult for some who are so used to the modern e-mail system to even imagine the problems of letters not arriving home for months and how that effected the family who used every resource they could to get any information they could of their daughter. The author uses these letters to carefully weave a true account of what was happening on both sides of the world.

I found the story excited, surprised by some of the descriptions of conditions and wondered why I hadn’t heard this story before. The author has brought out one of the untold stories of World War II- about a nurse. I believe this book will have wide appeal to many audiences including: medical personnel, historians, veterans and anyone interested in good story with a happening ending.


-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Karyn Saemann Reviews Military Memoir

Title: Mollie's War

Authors: Mollie Weinstein Schaffer and Cyndee Schaffer

Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Web link: www.mollieswar.com

Genre:  Nonfiction, WWII, memoir, women's issues

ISBN: 978-0-7864-4791-6

Reviewed by  Karyn Saemann for Midwest Book Review

Synposis of book:

Why did an average American woman become a WAC (Women’s Army Corps) during World War II and place herself in peril?

Authors Cyndee Schaffer and Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, answer this question and more in the book, Mollie’s War, a story weaved around the collection of letters that Mollie wrote home to her family during WWII along with historical commentary concurrent with the letters. Published by McFarland Publishers in August 2010, Mollie’s War documents the human side of life during the war – a life that alternates between fear and romance, exhaustion and leisure.

It took many letters home, sharing everything from daily challenges to exciting experiences (when the censors allowed) for her story, Mollie’s War, to emerge. What was it like to be in England while the country was under constant bombardment by unmanned German missiles? Imagine being among the first WACs to enter Normandy after the D-Day invasion. Consider using your foreign language skills from high school, as Mollie did in Normandy, and when she was transferred to Paris serving as informal interpreter in both work and social situations. Envision a young Jewish woman in Frankfurt, Germany, on Rosh Hashanah, 1945, and walking with other soldiers and officers to the rededication of the only standing synagogue.

The collection and story vividly depict Mollie’s experiences from her first train trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, for basic training in October, 1943, to the dramatic image of her seeing the illuminated figure of the Statue of Liberty in the midst of darkness as her ship approached the U.S. shores when she returned in November, 1945. This book may be the first collection of letters published by a Jewish American WAC.

Review:

 

Excellent editing, including a painstaking inclusion of explanatory text, elevates a collection of old letters into a warmly human, accessible account of a young Jewish woman's service in World War II Europe. From 1943 to 1945, while in the Women's Army Corps (WAC), Mollie Weinstein Schaffer saw England, France and Germany. Ultimately, her sister saved 350 pieces of correspondence penned by Schaffer, friends and family. About 200 make it into "Mollie's War," as do some brief diary entries. In her editing, Schaffer's daughter Cyndee judiciously excluded portions of longer letters, a wise decision that keeps things from bogging down, contributing to a wonderful novel-like flow. And she injects beaucoup explanatory notes, with just about every letter set up by a few lines. They flesh out details such as where Schaffer is geographically when she can't divulge that, significant battles and other events that have just or are about to occur, happenings and attitudes at home and weighty topics such as the role of female soldiers, whose participation wasn't always supported. And they reflect on the generally upbeat tone of the letters not being due to a lack of difficulties, but rather to the fact that Schaffer couldn't talk about her work with the Army's Medical Intelligence Division (whose duties ultimately included analyzing records left behind by Nazis of horrific experiments done on prisoners) and didn't want to worry her parents with news of hardship. Social activities were often all that was left to recount. Many of the letters are breezy accounts of dates, which female soldiers were asked out on constantly as they were far outnumbered by men. Others talk about living accommodations, food, sightseeing and nightlife in Paris. Sometimes they get intensely personal, particularly those detailing the simultaneous relationships Schaffer had with two men, both of whom she considered marrying. There are religious references, as Schaffer revels in gifts of her mother's Jewish pastries and marks holidays. And there is the reality of war, including stretches without heat or hot water, uncertainty over where the Army was sending her next and moments such as when she and her roommate woke to bombs overhead. "You can bet your boots we both felt to see if we were wearing our dog tags," she writes. Throughout, Schaffer's wit endears. "You should have seen me get ready to go out on my date last night," she writes to her sister from a muddy tent encampment in northern France two months after the June 1944 Normandy invasion. "You would have really laughed. " After a cold shower she fixes her hair with a mirror wedged in a tree limb, dons combat gear and then puts on "a few dashes of cologne to make me feel like I wasn't a soldier." Later from Paris, writing on letterhead left behind by the Nazis, she quips "Can you imagine - ME - with the "handle" that I've got (that is, her Jewish name) using Hitler's stationary?" Ultimately, that she found friends, love and time for laughter in the depths of war is a testament to Schaffer's personal strength. And her story is a historically vital representation of the role played by the 20,000 WACs sent overseas in World War II.

-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

By Dammit, We're Marines! Veterans Stories of Heroism, Horror, and Humor in World War II on the Pacific FrontBy Gail Chatfield
www.bydammitweremarines.com
Memoir/military
Military Writers Society of America Silver Medal 2009
Branson Stars and Flags Silver Medal 2009
View PowerPoint presentation at http://www.bydammitweremarines.com/photos.html
ISBN: 9780977903948


Reviewed by Col. Steve Fisher, USMC (Ret.)

Stephen Ambrose once said, "As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next."

In "By Dammit, We're Marines! -- Veterans' Stories of Heroism, Horror and Humor in World War II on the Pacific Front," a collection of remembrances from Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen, Carmel Valley author Gail Chatfield gathers us around the campfire with 52 heroes of the World War II Pacific campaigns.

Culled from Chatfield's interviews with these representatives of the "greatest generation," she presents unique perspectives on the war as seen through the eyes of officers and enlisted personnel, cousins and neighbors, frontline combat and support troops, corpsmen and chaplains.

Their stories provide detailed, firsthand accounts of some of the most horrific fighting in that theater. They take us through America's entry into the war; their induction, training and deployment; combat; and reintegration into a demobilizing society. The short tales are candid, poignant and sprinkled with humor.

Many of the combat stories focus on the Iwo Jima campaign, the battle immortalized by the famous flag-raising photo taken by Joe Rosenthal on Mount Suribachi. The veterans in "By Dammit, We're Marines!" openly speak of their fear in battle on Iwo Jima, where approximately one-third of all Marines killed in World War II died. Looking back, the Marines try to assess why they survived, and what enabled them to endure and accomplish the mission despite fierce enemy resistance. Some credit the training. Some owe their survival to their buddies.


Whatever it was, they certainly weren't fighting for the money: One of the Marines calculated that he fought on Iwo Jima for $1.53 a day. They fought tenaciously and prevailed because, in the words of retired Sgt. Maj. "Iron Mike" Mervosh, "By dammit, we're Marines."

At the time, most didn't know why they were ordered to take the tiny island of Iwo Jima -- they didn't need to know why -- until the first crippled B-29 airplanes returned from bombing Japan, and the pilots found a safe haven on which to land them.

While many initially enlisted for the challenge or to fulfill a patriotic duty, in combat they kept fighting for the Marine to their left or right, for the Marine who counted on them to protect their flanks. And, when wounded, they knew they had to get back in the fight as soon as possible.

Retired Lt. Gen. Lawrence Snowden summed it up best. After being wounded and evacuated to Guam for medical care, he found a Marine colonel and said, "'I would like to go back to Iwo Jima -- that is my family up there.' I hadn't seen my wife or infant son for two years by that time, but my family was on Iwo."

When I was boxing at the Naval Academy, our coach, Emerson Smith, once spoke of his years in the Navy during World War II. Just as many of Chatfield's veterans did, Smith married just before deploying to the South Pacific for several years. He once confided to me that the scariest experience he had was at the end of the war: He had arranged to meet his wife in the lobby of a hotel and was afraid that he would not recognize her.

I highly recommend this book. These warriors cum schoolteachers, librarians, husbands and fathers are part of this country's legacy. Chatfield, whose father served in the Marines, says it best as she ends: "Without Marines we're toast!"

As our nation is again engaged in a global conflict, Chatfield provides a window to our past, a look at the timeless horrors of war up close and personal, the sacrifices and dedication of our military and their families, and a chance to gather around the campfire.

~ Reviewer Steve Fisher of Fallbrook is a Vietnam veteran and retired U.S. Marine colonel who is working with the First Marine Expeditionary Force.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Military Memoir Top Award Winner Many Times Over

Title: Stand To…A Journey to Manhood
Author: E. Franklin Evans
Published in: Jan 2008
Awards: 2009 Award Winner, Founder’s Award, Mil Writer Soc of America (MWSA)
Silver Medalist, Branson Stars and Flags, 2009
45th Annual Georgia Author of the Year Nominee
See the video trailer at http://www.efranklinevans.com/index.php?page_id=269



Reviewed by W.H. McDonald, Jr. for Military Writer's Society of America


Vietnam veteran and author E. Franklin Evans has captured something very special in his personal war memoir, "Stand To...A Journey to Manhood". We get a good glimpse back into the life and times of a "young man" caught in the vortex of war. The reader is treated to a well written accounting of his experiences surviving both the traumas of battles and people. It is historic, personal and entertaining.
This is one of this decade's "Top 10 Best Memoirs" on the Vietnam War experience. The story is emotionally presented through the eyes of a young Army officer - but it is clearly written with the introspection of a much older author. He looks back at that time and place in his life in an attempt to understand and come to grips with these events. It is truly a journey and one that most readers will find well worth taking with this author.

----
The reviewer is the founder of  MWSA, Bill MacDonald. The author won the Founder’s Award for 2008.  It was also. iUniverse’s Reader’s Choice, Editor’s Choice, and Publisher’s Choice in 2008.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Military Memoir Is Military Writers Society of America Gold Medal Winner

An American Knight
Subtitle: The Life of Col. John Ripley
ISBN-10: 1877905410
ISBN-13: 978-187790541
Category: Biography, Military
By Norman Fulkerson
Publisher: The American TFP
$14.95


REVIEWED BY John Horvat originally for TFP


"There are plenty of books that tell the soldier’s story and take the reader beyond media accounts by showing the human face of war.

However, there are few books that go beyond the soldier’s story. That is not to say the soldier’s story is not inspiring. However, these are times that clamor not only for soldiers but heroes. People need story of moral leadership from those who can get things done on any field of battle.

An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC is one such story. Author Norman J. Fulkerson has written a riveting cradle-to-grave biography of Col. John W. Ripley that engages, inspires and motivates. In his warm and appealing style, Mr. Fulkerson not only tells of a true Marine legend of the Vietnam era, he tells the story of an American knight.

At first glance, this portrayal might seem difficult. Knights are supposed to be riding white horses and wearing shining armor not combat fatigues. Knights usually aren’t Americans since they belong to times past. Yet Mr. Fulkerson seems to relish the paradox as he tells his story.

Indeed, Col. Ripley was an archetypal American. His upbringing in a small town America is all apple pie. One is treated to accounts of his mischievous “Huckleberry Finn” childhood adventures that warm the heart with a glimpse of those simpler “cracker barrel” times. John Ripley’s story starts like that of so many other energetic youth who lived on the wild side of things during the fifties. And it may well have ended there.

But then, suddenly we see a change in John Ripley. He comes to represent another no less archetypal American – that heroic American with a can-do attitude, relentless drive and solid patriotism. One sees him join the Marines, enter the U.S. Naval Academy, and deploy in distant Vietnam where he became a living legend.

Here the archetypal American meets the knight.

One can definitely see the knight in the feats of Col. Ripley. He is most commonly known for his heroic action in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where he faced down over 30,000 North Vietnamese and 200 enemy tanks. Praying to God for help, Ripley proceeded to blow up the Dong Ha Bridge, preventing the enemy from crossing.

As stunning as the Dong Ha story is, there are only a few chapters dedicate to this feat. However, it is obvious that Mr. Fulkerson is not just telling the story of a Marine legend; he is telling the story of a real knight.

Knights do more than just fight battles. They fight that most important of all struggles: the battle against themselves. With unshakable faith in God, they overcome their defects and vices and present a role model of spotless character to a society in need of them. They go beyond the call of duty and sacrifice themselves for the common good on any battlefield. They live up to a code of chivalry that our permissive society believes impossible to follow.

And thus, Mr. Fulkerson presents Col. Ripley as a true knight. Inside the pages of his book, one finds the devout manly Catholic, the faithful husband, the loving father, and the Southern gentleman. One sees the commander, the warrior and leader. There is also the administrator, scholar and mentor.

There is one field of battle where Col. Ripley excelled and that was the field of public opinion. This knight was not afraid to voice his opinions even when they went against the “politically correct” opinion of the times. When testifying before Congress, he did not waver in expressing his opposition to homosexuality in the military and women in combat. Such moral battles are often more terrible than those of the physical battlefield!

Thus, Mr. Fulkerson presents a figure who is both American and knight. He proves that such a portrayal need not be a paradox. It should rather be a model.

An American Knight is an inspiring story but it is also a challenge. In these times of political correctness, it challenges all Americans to have the moral courage of someone who stands firm. When so many wilt and waver, it calls upon all to find and look to an uncommon human type – the knight – for the kind of moral leadership needed to weather the storms ahead.
--

"There are Two Types of Pain in this World: The Temporary Pain of Discipline, or the Permanent Pain of Regret" -- anonymous

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Political Science Book Reviewed

Title: Redoubts
Author: Richard J. Johnson
Genre: Nonfiction Political Science
Publisher: CreateSpace (March 13, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1451546467
ISBN-13: 978-1451546460

Review originally published by Richard J. Jonson at New-Books-Reviewed (setup before coming across your site... :) )

Redoubts offers a realistic, non-“PC” examination of the course of western civilization and the forces working against it. A three-tour (military and civilian) Vietnam veteran, former stockbroker, and security specialist, the author explores a number of historical, political, economic, scientific, and cultural topics; providing his positions and unique ideas accentuated with reflections based on a lifetime of personal experiences. The book’s underlying tone harkens the West back to common sense, traditional moral values, individual liberty, minimal government and away from globalist elites' strategy for social change and concentration of power. Available on Amazon.com

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

US Navy Veteran Reviews "Unsung Patriot"

itle: Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How The Stars and Stripes Began
Author: Virginia G. Vassallo
Websites: www.krazyduck.com www.unsungpatriot.com
Genre: Military history/ World War I/ Biography/ History
ISBN: 978-0-9776739-2-6

Reviewed by Richard Blakewww.midwestbookreview.com. See Reviewer's Bookwatch, August 2007, Richard's Bookshelf


Every generation has its' heroes. Many of these receive medals, and ribbons to honor them for their service to our country. Others receive plaques, trophies, and acclaim for personal accomplishments in business, sports, or entertainment. There is also that myriad of heroes who never receive the accolades. These are the "unsung" heroes serving behind the lines while others receive the applause.

This is the biography of Guy T. Viskniskki, the founder, and first editor-in-chief of "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper, published during the fighting months of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I during 1917-1919.

At age forty, Guy put a successful career in newspaper editing and publishing on hold and responded to a sense of patriotism by enlisting in armed forces. He hoped to be placed on the frontline with the troops in Europe. However, he was assigned to General Headquarters guiding newspapermen throughout the American zone in France. While traveling through France he conceived the idea of a newspaper written "by and for the soldiers" of the A.E.F. He saw this as a need to raise morale among the troops.

By November in 1917 Second Lieutenant Guy T. Viskniskki was press officer and censor at the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Already a veteran of the Wheeler Newspaper Syndicate, and former editor of the Bayonet, a camp newspaper of the Eightieth Division, Camp Lee, Virginia Guy was asked to develop his idea and to explore the feasibility of publishing a newspaper for the AEF.

Once it was determined that an AEF newspaper could be produced in France, Viskniskki became the first managing editor of "The Stars and Stripes." Guy successfully faced the challenges of staffing, paper shortages, and maintaining editorial control with integrity. "Stars and Stripes" became Guy's legacy. After the war he again resumed his newspaper career, served as editor of several newspapers, and as a consultant in the publishing field.

Proud of her heritage and of her Grandfather's accomplishments Virginia Vassallo produced this book as a tribute to honor his memory. What started as a few notes and memories to preserve some family history for her grandson became a monumental project. Her fascination for one more bit of information drove her into writing this thoroughly researched and well documented monument to this "Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki".

Virginia used her grandfather's unpublished memoirs, various internet sources, interviews with family members, and numberless newspaper articles, and correspondence to research the background information this book. She contacted Jim Mayo, President of the Stars and Stripes Museum for help. Jim was eager to assist her in this project and provided additional valuable resource information.

Guy T. Viskniskki will long be remembered for his patriotism, integrity and perseverance for the things he valued. The book will provide inspiration to small town newspaper editors and the editor-in-chiefs of newspapers across the world. Veteran's Associations, Sons of the American Revolution, and members of the American Legion will remember Guy's indefatigable efforts for their causes. As readers they will applaud this tribute to a tireless mentor and for his advocacy for the peoples of United States of America.

Virginia's respect and admiration for the accomplishments of Guy T. Viskniskki came through beautifully. She masterfully created well-rounded word pictures of this dynamic, yet complex, man whose legacy is the "Stars and Stripes." Virginia is very articulate, her words are well chosen. Her organization is meticulous, and her presentation is convincing. I say "Bravo!"
----
Reviewed By: Richard R. Blake,
U. S. Navy Veteran, Korean Conflict
Book Store Owner
Christian Education Consultant
-------
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.

Silent Generation No Longer Silent: A Blessing, Not a Lack of Patriotism

BEYOND PELELIU
By Peter Baird
Ravenhawk Books, 2006

Reviewed by John Kane for the Denver Post (Permission given to reprint by the reviewer.)

In September 1944, 45,000 U.S. marines and soldiers attacked the tiny Japanese held island of Peleliu in the Palau Islands. The attack served no useful military purpose and was based on faulty intelligence that the island was lightly defended and its capture would take just days. More than 13,000 Japanese troops fought with suicidal intensity for over a month; fewer than 2,000 of them survived. Eighteen hundred American troops were killed and another 8,000 wounded.

BEYOND PELELIU is the fictional story of one American who returned. More than that, it is the story of how the carnage of war resonates through generations to affect the son he barely knew, and his son’s eventual relationships with his own wife and children. Peter Baird’s powerful and sensitive tale exposes how the Greatest Generation and its successor, the Silent Generation, were affected by a war from which even those who returned in body never really came home.

Tom McQuade is a surgical resident in Boston married to an exotic woman, Virginia, with a newborn son, David, when Pearl Harbor ends their idyllic life. Drafted and made a captain in the Army Medical Corps, Tom goes ashore at Peleliu. He returns to his family crippled in body and spirit. With his hand shattered, his promise as a surgeon becomes a bitter memory.

To Virginia’s consternation, Tom refuses to discuss what happened at Peleliu, but it has changed him irrevocably. His anger and frustration lead to drinking and an inevitable divorce. Virginia and David move on with their lives.

Forty years later, David is a successful trial lawyer in San Francisco. Like his father he is a warrior, but his battlefield is the courtroom and it, too, is strewn with casualties.

After Virginia dies and Tom has entered the early stages of dementia, father and son reconnect. For the first time, the jaded lawyer with a briefcase full of courtroom triumphs and failed relationships learns the awful secret of what happened to his father on Peleliu and experiences the liberating force of truth.

What became of the sons of the Greatest Generation? Although the Silent Generation did not go to war, many of its members were indelibly shaped by the effect of war on parents who tried to pick up the pieces of shattered lives and couldn’t. All boys develop an ideal father – a hero who rescues them, a template for their own development into men. Those whose fathers go to war create particularly potent ideals for the absent parent, who rarely measures up if he indeed returns. Until a boy comes to grips with the reality of who his father is, without the need to idealize and the consequent betrayal of that ideal, he cannot become a man. David McQuade’s reconciliation with Tom enables both men to become fully realized.

BEYOND PELELIU goes far beyond the faulty intelligence of a disastrous battle and the psychological carnage that afflicted a father and son. It is the story of redemption that comes from embracing the truth that lies at a parent’s core. It is also the story of practicing a profession with external success, but devoid of meaning. Only by embracing truth in all circumstances can David become more than the shell of a man. Indeed, only by embracing the truth can he himself become a hero.

Baird’s style is spare and clean, expressed in short paragraphs blissfully free of adverbs and adjectives. His prose is characterized by strong nouns and active verbs reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver. His attention to detail in describing every scene and event make the development of each character natural, credible and consistent with the plot. His use of dialogue is masterful.

It is not surprising that Baird, a prominent trial lawyer, describes the work of lawyers with such authenticity, but the medical aspects and the battle scenes are equally well done. The demons of war infuse them all. There is not a dull passage in the narrative; it moves like a rocket to its thudding and entirely human conclusion.

Readers of any generation will understand themselves better and share in the experience of real and memorable characters. In BEYOND PELELIU Baird speaks to and for the Silent Generation. We can be grateful that it is silent no more.