Love and Sacrifice (eBook)

A World War Brings Double Tragedy to an American Family

Dennis Whitehead (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2017 | 2017 revision with color photographs
344 Seiten
Mmimedia, LLC (Verlag)
978-0-9863488-9-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Love and Sacrifice is the never-before-told true story of a father and son killed in World War II. The reader follows the Reed family journey through the first half of the 20th century as they travel the country and globe in military service. Their stories are told through loving letters among family members, personal diaries, and the vivid recollections of wife and mother, Mildred Reed. The text is illustrated with more than 300 images interwoven to illuminate their experiences in full light.Mildred Boddy and Ollie Reed were born at the turn of the 20th century on the windblown prairies of northwestern Kansas. High school sweethearts, Ollie was offered the chance to attend West Point following graduation but decided to stay in Kansas to be near Mildred. Attending Kansas State University in the approach to WWI, Ollie joined the ROTC. As war grew closer, he left school to join the infantry and begin a lifelong military career.Mildred and Ollie soon married, but army duty often kept the couple apart. Mildred joined Ollie whenever should could, always aware that each station could be the last before he left for war.Ollie was not called for overseas service in the First World War making it possible for him to travel from his post at Camp Upton on Long Island to Connecticut in January 1919 for the birth of their son, Ollie W. Reed, Jr.Rising through the ranks from an enlisted private, Lt. Reed was called to Europeafter the war to serve in the Army of Occupation in the Rhineland with Mildred and Buddy joining as soon as they could.Returning to the U.S., a second son was born, Ted. Ollie remained in the Army through the inter-war years and led military science programs at Drexel University in Philadelphia and the Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. The appointment to Wentworth was an honor, accepted especially on behalf of Buddy who had reached his teenage years. Ollie hoped that his eldest son would exceed his father's footsteps.Graduating from Wentworth, Buddy was accepted to West Point. The rigors of the academy proved extremely tough but he fought to continue.With Buddy at West Point, Ollie was assigned to the Philippines. In personal letters and memoirs, Mildred wrote with great flourish of the new and strange world around her. Japan threatened and American families were evacuated. Ted left first the Philippines while Mildred refused to go. She left in time with Ollie not far behind as he fell ill with malaria. He was recuperating in San Francisco when Pearl Harbor was attacked.Buddy graduated West Point in 1942, the first class to graduate into WWII. He broke the heart of Nancy Campbell back in Lexington when he married Laura Sloman immediately after graduation. A brief honeymoon led straight to Ft. Benning for training and then assignment to the 91st Division in Oregon. There, Laura became pregnant, and then Buddy had to leave his young wife and infant son for the European war.Ollie also was called overseas, first to the UK for D-Day preparations and then command of the 175th Regiment in France. Tthe war of the hedgerows raged and men died, while Ollie wrote to ease Mildred’s mind, simply asking for her prayers.At this same time, Buddy landed in Italy as a platoon leader in the 363rd Regiment.  Then, the unthinkable happened.Love and Sacrifice harkens to a simpler time in America with a mother leading a family through frequent relocations, raising two sons, and then holding the family together with strength derived from a firm belief in God and the goodness of humanity.The nonfiction true story, Love and Sacrifice, is suitable for adult and young adult readers, with special interest for veterans, Army officers, USMA grads, and, especially, military families, and those interested in military history, American history, World War II, biography, and genealogy. 

Inhalt

CHAPTER ONE: Norton, Kansas - Ollie Reed and Mildred Boddy growing up in northwestern Kansas
CHAPTER TWO: War on the Horizon - Passing up a chance to attend West Point to remain close to Mildred, Ollie begins a life in the military 
CHAPTER THREE: New Life Begins - Ollie and Mildred marry and begin their travels together on Ollie's assignments; a son is born, Ollie W. Reed, III - Buddy
CHAPTER FOUR: The End of the War to End All Wars - WWI passes with Ollie remaining in the U.S., to Mildred's relief
CHAPTER FIVE: Germany - The Army of Occupation - Ollie is assigned to the Army of Occupation in the Rhineland along Germany's border with Allied countries; Mildred is fascinated by all she is seeing in her first time overseas
CHAPTER SIX: The Inter-War Years - Returning to the U.S., Ollie stays in the army while the military is downsizing; a second son, Ted, is born; the family is often uprooted
CHAPTER SEVEN: Professor Ollie Reed - Ollie is assigned professor of Military Science at Drexel University where he is tasked with rebuilding the program; he is a resounding success; the family loves living in the suburbs
CHAPTER EIGHT: Back to Benning - With his success at Drexel, Ollie is called to Ft. Benning to lead a machine gun company in the 29th Regiment under Lt. Col. George Marshall
CHAPTER NINE: Command and General Staff School - Ollie's potential is recognized as he is sent to the Command and General Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth; the course is tough but Ollie, in spite of not having a college degree, finishes toward the top of his class; the boys are growing up
CHAPTER TEN: Back to School, for Bud’s Sake - Ollie is called to revive the Military Science program at the Wentworth Military Academy; the program has fallen on hard times and it is up to Ollie to save it; an opportunity for Buddy to attend the school and follow in his footsteps; Buddy falls in love
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Duty, Honor, Country - West Point - Fulfilling his father's unrealized dream, Buddy is accepted to West Point; the rigors of the academy are tough to handle and has to fight his way back in
CHAPTER TWELVE: Welcome to the World of Tomorrow - With Buddy in West Point, Maj. Reed is assigned to the Philippines but first he, Mildred, and Ted visit the 1939 World's Fair in New York
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Sailing to a New Horizon - A new adventure begins as they sail from through the across the Pacific to the Philippines
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Philippine Islands - While Ollie is busy with military matters and Ted is in school, Mildred marvels at the new world around her, recording her impressions with the flourish of a travelogue
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: War Closes In - With Japan threatening, American civilians are evacuated; Mildred reluctantly leaves but Ollie is close behand suffering from malaria; Pearl Harbor is bombed as Bud is finishing his studies
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Laura - At West Point, Bud meets Laura Sloman, jilting Nancy Campbell in Lexington
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Starting a New Life - Bud graduates from West Point and immediately marries Laura; the honeymoon is brief as they are on the move
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Departures - Lt. Reed departs for North Africa and Col. Reed to England
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Safe Landings - Bud arrives in Algeria, writing home of the exotic place
CHAPTER TWENTY: Italy - Following training, Bud's unit leaves for Italy where they enter combat
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Normandy - Ollie writes to Mildred of calm scenes from the midst of hedgerow combat
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Love and Loss - On the same August day, word reaches Mildred about her loved ones
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Epilogue - What happened to significant characters in the story

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.12.2017
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte
• Schlagworte: American family • Inspirational • military family • Narrative nonfiction • Nonfiction • Normandy • West Point • wife and mother
• ISBN-10: 0-9863488-9-9 / 0986348899
• ISBN-13: 978-0-9863488-9-1 / 9780986348891