Beneath the Flag I Love [Paperback]

Joseph Jankowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2006

A warmly nostalgic, personal and honestly expressive collection of prose and poetry. Written essays of a practised story teller.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph Jankowski was born in Elmira, New York in 1925. He entered the Marine Corps at the age of seventeen and participated in the Battle of Okinawa in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Following the war, he served in China and returned Japanese soldiers to Japan and Korean prisoners in Japan back to Korea.

In 1948, he married Margaret Henry of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Jankowski also served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1960.

He was a salesman most of his life. In 1963 he became a radio announcer and eventually sales manager of WGUL Radio in New Port Richey, Florida.

Some of his writings were written about places he has visited and events he has seen.

His poems and short stories appeal to both young and old alike.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"A Tribute to Leathernecks"

A trace of battle still lingers behind and, 'neath the sands of far-off isle, are remains of tanks, landing craft and rifle clips.

Moans of the wounded still sound across the beach, but heard only by curious veterans who have returned to the place where they once waded ashore from targeted landing boats -- each boat a part of a wave of many small landing craft that brought the men to the unfamiliar beach.

The men were frightened, yet eager to set foot on the sands of the far away island. For some, it would be their last day of living. Others would leave the island, but would leave behind a part of themselves -- a part of their precious bodies. They were the ones who appeared in the sights of an enemy rifle, or maybe one of many who were at the spot where a shell exploded -- shells attempting to erase the incoming tide of American Marines.

That seeems like a very long time ago, and yet, it's like only yesterday. The battle for that island was only one of many, one arena of combat between the Japanese and American fighting forces during World War II.

Now the beach may be a playground for sun lovers, who bask for hours atop the sands that once welcomed the Marines into "hell." Sands that were once thrown aside an piled around a refuge. (A hole in the ground) for a kid from "Somewhere America" bent on staying alive and returning home to resume courting some girl who may have sat behind him in high school.

Dig deep and in enough places and you'll probably find a steel helmet that once covered the head of a young "leatherneck" who landed there that day, one who probably never heard of the island until he was ready to leave the troop-carrying ship that took him to its coastline.

The battle scars are hidden, but the "hell" remains, both beneath the sands of that Pacific island, and in the memories of those who were lucky enough to survive. Survive perhaps to go through it again on another island, on the road to Japan.

"Starting The Day"

Your alarm fails to sound in early morn
You sleep on, as day is born
You remain in bed 'til almost nine
Unaware of anything - including time

As heavy rains fall from darkened skies
Slowly rising, you finally realize
It's not a day for golf to be played
So you return to bed, where you should have stayed

The day started with things going wrong
Like off-key notes in a familiar song
Hopefully, the sun will shine overhead

Placing a rainbow above your bed

"A Hairy Tale"

Most every vacation begins
In the good ole' summertime
My experience (while fishing)
Perhaps is one-of-a-kind

A big brown bear came over the hill
To see what food he could find
He found along a stream - some fish
That I had caught and thought were mine

I fled that stream, but didn't bring
The jacket I had worn-
Its pockets carried some biscuits
My mom had baked from corn

I tried again that same day
In a stream just down the road
The fishing there was just as good
At least so I'd been told

I had a wish to catch several fish,
Making up for the ones I once had
Again a huge bear appeared
I thought of the last intruder - all bad

Would he dare - that brazen old bear?
Yes, the same he had to be-
For he carried my old jacket
Eating biscuits baked for me

I was angry as one could be
At that biscuit-eating bear
He even had the nerve to steal
A jacket he couldn't wear

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553695992
• ISBN-13: 978-1553695998
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,330,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)