The Other Veterans of World War II
Stories from Behind the Front Lines
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Kent State University Press
Published:30th Apr '20
Should be back in stock very soon
The untold stories of troops serving miles away from front lines.
For decades, the dramatic stories of World War II soldiers have been the stuff of memoirs, interviews, novels, documentaries, and feature films. Yet the men and women who served in less visible roles, never engaging in physical combat, have received scant attention.
Convinced that their depiction as pencil pushers, grease monkeys, or cowards was far from the truth, Rona Simmons embarked on a quest to discover the real story from the noncombat veterans themselves. She sat across from 19 veterans or their children, read their letters and journals, looked at photos, and touched their mementos: pieces of shrapnel, a Japanese sword, a porcelain tea set, a pair of wooden shoes, a marquisette wedding gown.
Compiling these veterans' stories, Simmons follows them as they report for service, complete their training, and often ship out to stations thousands of miles from home. She shares their dreams to see combat and disappointment at receiving noncombat positions, as well as their selflessness and yearning for home. Ultimately, Simmons finds the noncombat veterans had far more in common with the front line soldiers than differences.
Simmons's extensive research gives us a more complete picture of the war effort, bringing long-overdue appreciation for the men and women whose everyday tasks, unexpected acts of sacrifice, and faith and humor contributed mightily to the ultimate outcome of World War II.
"The daughter of a World War II fighter pilot, Simmons spent years locating and interviewing veterans and their children, supplementing their personal experiences with additional research to present a wider view of the war and the people who fought it. Mechanics kept planes aloft, nurses tended to the wounded, and engineers with the Graves Registration Service honored the fallen. Regardless of their eventual assignments, Simmons points out that all the 'other veterans' stood in harm's way while serving. . . . 'All nineteen [individuals featured in the book] did their part and served as proudly as any combat soldier or sailor,' Simmons writes. She has done a great service by bringing their stories to the public in this book."- ARMY Magazine;
"In writing The Other Veterans of World War II, Rona Simmons has achieved with insight and emotion her goal of shedding light on the noncombat veterans of World War II. In addition to giving the reader a better sense of the mind-boggling organizational and logistical challenges of waging a far-flung war, the author furnishes an intensely personal portrayal of each of the book's 19 noncombat veterans — their motivations to serve, the coping with being away from home, and their experiences in some cases with being in harm's way. The Other Veterans of World War II is a masterful accomplishment of weaving seemingly disparate elements into a compelling narrative that leaves the reader with a profound appreciation for the myriad contributions of these veterans in ridding the world of tyranny."- Scott W. Loehr, President/CEO, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force;
"Over half the Americans who served in World War II served in noncombat roles, yet few among us know anything about these men and women. Their stories have not been told, their praises have not been sung. Rona Simmons brings a fresh eye to the war, drawing back the curtain on these unheralded service members, bringing their war experience to light. Through their own words and recollections, we learn of their not so different hopes, fears, determination, and pride. Painstakingly researched and compellingly told, The Other Veterans of World War II is a fine addition to the World War II bookshelf."- Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump, 1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls, The Aviators, and The Allies;
"The Other Veterans of World War II is an essential addition to the library of every student of that defining twentieth-century event. Beautifully written, the book weaves firsthand accounts, critical contextual information, and 'the rest of the story' postscripts to tell the stories of Americans who served in non-combat roles during the war. Simmons highlights the often overlooked contributions of the millions of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Merchant Mariners who made combat possible. For those of us who collect, preserve, and share the stories of our nation's veterans, the most common refrain we hear from these men and women is, 'I didn't do anything important.' Simmons's book proves that statement false."- Sue VerHoef, Director of Oral History and Genealogy, Atlanta History Center
ISBN: 9781606353981
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 555g
240 pages