The Veterans History Project (VHP) introduced a new book, "Forever a Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service," and some of the veterans whose stories are told in the book at the National Book Festival on Sept. 24.
The VHP sold 240 advance copies of "Forever a Soldier" at the Library of Congress pavilion. National Geographic Books and the Library planned to release the book for sale on Veterans' Day, Nov. 11. "Forever a Soldier" consists of veterans' stories selected from the thousands gathered by the VHP in a nationwide effort to collect and preserve personal experiences and observations of those who have served since World War I. The VHP also sold 100 soft-cover copies of "Voices of War" (National Geographic Books, 2004), the first collection of war stories gathered by the VHP.
Also appearing at the festival was historian and author Andrew Carroll, who wrote the introduction to "Forever a Soldier." He joined the book's author, VHP historian Tom Wiener, in a discussion followed by a book signing. Carroll described his "visceral reaction to letters" as his inspiration for creating the Legacy Project, a national effort to collect and preserve wartime letters and e-mails sent home.
"Letters provide immediacy to the situation; they often have a sense of humor and give new insights you haven't heard before," said Carroll. He praised VHP for not only collecting written letters and memoirs but also recording oral histories to create a comprehensive archives of firsthand accounts of wartime.
Some veterans whose stories appear in the new book recalled their experiences for National Book Festival audiences. World War II veteran Denton Crocker shared stories from his tour in the Pacific Theater, which was documented in his memoir, "My War Against Mosquitoes," and also told in "Voices of War." His wife, Jean-Marie, wrote "Son of the Cold War," a memoir of their eldest son, Denton Jr., who enlisted in the Army in 1965 and died in combat on his 19th birthday in June 1966, while serving in Vietnam. His story also is told in "Forever a Soldier." During the VHP program at the National Book Festival, the Crockers gave a moving account of their son's belief in service. Denton Jr. had plans to join the Peace Corps after serving in the Vietnam War.
Left, Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), one of the sponsors of legislation that created the Veterans History Project, announces the publication of "Forever a Soldier"; right, in a photo from the book, John McCain, front right, poses with fellow navy pilots in 1966. McCain, now a U.S. Senator, spent five years as a prisoner of war. - Left photo by Vicki Govro
Norman Ikari and Yeiichi Kelly Kuwayama, veterans of World War II, served with the U.S. Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit composed of Japanese-American men, many of whose families were interned during the war by the U.S. government.
The 442nd, nicknamed Go for Broke, fought in Italy and France and became the most decorated unit of its size in American military history. These two soldiers met on the battlefield, when Kuwayama, a medic, tended to Ikari, who had been shot in his legs. Their stories are each told in "Forever a Soldier." Even 60 years later, Ikari and Kuwayama vividly recalled the mixed emotions of serving their country while Ikari's family was interned in relocation camps and Kuwayama's had to live off savings while his father's business was shut down.
The 352-page hardcover edition of "Forever a Soldier," with more than 65 illustrations, is available for $26 in bookstores nationwide and through the Library's Sales Shop, Washington, DC 20540-4985. Credit card orders will be taken at (888) 682-3557. Online orders may be placed at www.loc.gov/shop/.
A companion Web site to "Forever a Soldier" with selected stories is accessible at www.loc.gov/foreverasoldier/.
Tom Wiener, left, VHP historian and author of "Forever a Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service," and historian Andrew Carroll discuss the value of capturing and recording the memories of war veterans. - Michaela McNichol
