Blog
Post: by Sarina Rose
Honor Veterans with Stories
This week as we in the United States
celebrate Veterans Day, we may be thinking about the veterans closest to us,
about those men and women who served in the armed services. Whether they were
men or women, we honor them maybe with a prayer, maybe with a wreath on their
grave, maybe during a parade or maybe at the local VFW or American Legion Post.
I will honor some veterans of World
War II here by writing what I remember hearing or seeing. Perhaps that is so
because I was born during that war. Many of those I knew lived and died in my
lifetime. I have been told that my first cousin to come home from World War II
and be my baptismal godfather. He never returned, but he lies buried in France.
When I grew up, my father would take me to place a memorial wreath with his
name on the red, white and blue ribbon at the monument inscribed with names of
the fallen from our town.
I have fond memories of the local
members of VFW. They were my first living heroes. I remember their newspaper
drives. Once a month they would drive a truck through the local streets on
Sunday mornings collecting batches of old newspapers the townspeople had saved.
This VFW was among the first to recycle. They had served in World War II and
came home.
My favorite uncles, Sammy and
Charlie, also came home to their loving families. I have a formal picture of Uncle
Charlie in uniform with a cigar. He sent it with a dollar bill for my birth or
birthday. I can still remember seeing
Uncle Sammy and Aunt Florie’s wedding photo. They were married the day before
Pearl Harbor. Uncle Sammy became a fireman after the war and Uncle Charlie
became a tavern owner.
My father was drafted into the Army
after he and Mom were married. Her biggest journey ever was traveling by train
from New Jersey to South Carolina to visit him. Miraculously he classified 4F
and discharged for flat feet. He was a barber and stood on those feet many
hours a day to support our family. His barber shop was around the corner from
the VFW Post and he gave free haircuts to the veterans for many years.
Many men and women who served our
country and the Allie Command in World War II go unrecognized on Veterans Day.
They are the mighty spies who crossed into enemy territory to assist the
resistance movements, distributed propaganda, located enemy troops, and kept
the commanders informed. Not being part of the regular military, most did not
receive salaries or pensions. Many became enigmas. Many suffered from
starvation, freezing temperatures, and torture. After WWII, some returned to the United States to work
for the CIA.
I encourage you to remember those in
your family that were lost to war. Read memoirs and search your family records
for veterans of those days. Maybe your parents or grandparents have stories to
tell. Ask them now, write down what they say now, and keep the pages safe for
tomorrow.
Tell us, who comes to mind for you
and what do you remember or have heard about your veteran, be it from World War
II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, or any other conflict? Write your comments
here as a memorial.
Bio: Sarina Rose, born, educated and employed in
New Jersey as a Spanish Teacher until moving to Florida where she began her
writing career. She is a graduate of College of Saint Elizabeth, had four
children, ten grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She lives with her
husband, a Labradoodle and a Shih Tzu.
The Relentless
Brit
– Vintage Romance
A
tale of sex, romance, spies and espionage during World War II
E-book On Sale thru Nov.14, 2015
A
tale of sex, romance, spies and espionage during World War II
Synopsis:
The Relentless Brit
Marie
Gentile is a widow sensing a change in her life is around the corner when a
Charles Stanhope recruits her to become an undercover agent for the Allies. He
falls in love soon after first sight. She has feeling, but are they love or
lust. A serious relationship is beyond her. She still mourns her dead husband.
Excerpt:
The Relentless Brit
When I looked up
from the paper, I saw a blond, blue-eyed fellow come through the door. About a
head taller than me with a smile as cute as one of those toy bears named for
President Teddy Roosevelt. The guy wore a shabby oversized raincoat. The coat
did not hinder him from walking. It just blocked my view. Yes, Gus left me a
widow but still female and human. I could still admire what was underneath the
raincoat. He smiled at me and dropped onto the seat in my booth. Oh my, was he
a freeloader?
“Hey, please, a
minute! Who invited you?” I pointed to the counter. “There’s plenty of room
over there.” I looked into those deep blue eyes. Could he be someone I was
investigating for Mario? No, he wasn’t. Something about his demeanor registered
“interesting” to me. A thought about Gus registered “guilty”. This guy unnerved
me and the hot coffee in my cup spilled onto my hand.
“Here, let me.”
He grabbed a handful of paper napkins and wiped my hand and the table.
“Do I know you?
Don’t touch me,” I said. Who was this stranger and what could he possibly want?
I had to learn more. I was an investigator, wasn’t I? Even though I still
mourned Gus, I wouldn’t mind time with another man. A movie? Dinner? That was
harmless enough. Gus would understand, wouldn’t he? Only God knew that answer.
The attraction I felt for this man twisted like a snake around my feeling for
Gus.
“Sorry I upset
you. Before you shout for help, Joann sent me. My name is Charles Stanhope.”
I didn’t like pulling my hand away
from his kind touch, but what would people say?
Next
Release 2015: THE RELENTLESS ITALIAN – Vintage Romance
Will
Sophie and Tony’s love survive two
careers, different continents, an ocean and three mothers?
