Just Doing My Job
Stories of Service from World War II
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Santa Monica Press
Published:4th Mar '25
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Preserving the personal histories of civilians and soldiers who united to defend America during the Second World War, this unique oral history tells the stories of ordinary citizens who left jobs and families behind to contribute to the war effort.
Chronicling the sacrifices made by otherwise average people, this keepsake features profiles of and interviews with the men and women who responded to the call to action by putting their lives on hold to fight for their country at home and abroad.
From soldiers and spies to factory workers and nurses, the heroes profiled in this history include Dick Hamada, a Japanese American who became a spy for the Office of Strategic Services; Edith McClure, an Army nurse stationed in England; Bobby Hite, one of the famed Doolittle Raiders, who was captured by the Japanese and endured years of torture and solitary confinement; and pilot Bob Hoover, who was shot down over enemy territory and imprisoned but managed to escape by stealing a German plane.
“In this revealing oral history, author Hoppes (Calculated Risk) gathers personal accounts of ordinary citizens who contributed to the 1940s war effort. The granddaughter of Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, who led America’s first strike against Japan during World War II, she records the detailed stories of, among others, German Jew Rose Beal, who was 11 when Hitler came into power; Bonnie Gwaltney, a young woman who left North Carolina to work the assembly line at California’s Douglas Aircraft; Carmelita Pope, a Chicago performer who traveled with the USO; and Navy corpsman Jack Hammett, who recalls the chaos and bloodshed of the attack on Pearl Harbor: “Everywhere I looked I saw broken bodies: the dead, the dying, some just barely hanging on, others merely stunned, all mixed together in a jumble.” Particularly fascinating is the account of Dick Hamada, a Japanese-American soldier from Hawaii who worked for the newly formed Office of Strategic Services, the first U.S. intelligence agency. Their significant sacrifices and vivid memory make for engrossing narratives of perseverance and faith.”
—Publishers Weekly
“We are still talking about The Greatest Generation. There was Ken Burns documentary about World War II. Movies are still set during the 1940s. It’s possible to have WWII burn-out. Fortunately there is this volume, guaranteed to cure Second World War fatigue. Doolittle Hoppes has assembled a collection of first-person narratives representing the many faces of The War, each more compelling than the last. These true-life adventures show not only the heroism of everyday people thrown into extraordinary circumstances, but also the variety of experiences that made up the war years. Not everyone was a solider, but everyone has a story worth hearing.”
—Author Magazine
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ISBN: 9781595801449
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown