Forever a Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service [Hardcover]

Tom Wiener (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

Most American soldiers can pinpoint a specific time when life stood still, when they thought, "I'm going to remember this moment forever." It's times like these that have the power to change the future. Forever a Soldier—drawn from the massive national collection of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project—illustrates how American soldiers have answered the call to duty with a singular spirit of patriotism, and how military service has transformed their lives. Some of the remarkable stories include a World War II prisoner of war who describes desperate hours spent trying to conceal his Jewish heritage from his German captors; a nurse stationed in Vietnam who remembers a dying patient, his miraculous recovery, and her reward years later; and the survivor of a famed World War II shipwreck who flashes back to four harrowing days in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Culled from letters, diaries, and oral histories by soldiers, sailors, marines, and supporting citizens, these fifty stories constitute an astonishing historical record, a powerful tribute to those who fought, and a celebration of the enduring power of the words of few to speak for many. Forever a Soldier captures the personal perspective of war that is all too often lost in news reports and government statements. It is an indispensable contribution to understanding war and its impact on us all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This second volume (following Voices of War) culled from more than 35,000 stories in the ongoing Library of Congress Veterans History Project is a dense collection of reminiscences—oral histories, letters and diaries—from WWI to the Persian Gulf War, with emphasis on WWII. The most compelling stories are eyewitness accounts: a sailor recounts the attack on Pearl Harbor, a survivor of the Indianapolis sinking in 1945 describes five days in shark-infested Pacific waters, a doctor relates the horrors of trench warfare in 1917, a soldier endures murderous combat during the 1968 Tet offense in Vietnam. Contributors survive long, terrible experiences as prisoners in Germany, Japan, North Korea and Vietnam—and a short, unpleasant confinement in Iraq. If all 37 accounts met these standards, this would be an outstanding addition to the genre, but perhaps out of excessive respect for historical material, the editor too often spares his red pencil. As a result, earnest patriotic essays, rambling tributes to comrades, mildly interesting career summaries or long itineraries of places veterans visited dilute the collection. Military buffs will happily add this to their shelves, but others may wish for a more consistently eloquent anthology of our veterans' memories. 65 b&w photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The Library of Congress Veterans History Project continues in this volume presenting veterans of conflicts ranging from World War II to the Gulf War and possessing a variety of military specialties and personal backgrounds. Ex-POWs Rhonda Corum of the first Gulf War and John McCain of the Vietnam War report experiences of vastly different length and severity. In his World War II service, Asa Hall found much of the supposedly traditional camaraderie, though Robert Dunning thought that it was an illusion. Vets who broke new ground with their service also appear, including Carolyn Tanaa, a survivor of the relocation camps; Darlene Iskra, one of the first female navy divers; and Augustus Prince, an African American radar man in 1944, when the navy was something less than an equal-opportunity employer. The WWII subjects are often listed as deceased, and those who aren't now represent a diminishing body of American veterans. All leave a valuable record of their experiences, even for those who hope never to don a uniform. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792241894
• ISBN-13: 978-0792241898
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 1.2 x 6.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,875,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Looking Elsewhere, February 12, 2006

By 

J. R. Davis (San Angelo, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forever a Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service (Hardcover)

If you are looking for the stories of our fathers who went off to fight our wars, as likely as not you will be disappointed. The editor took viable material and turned it into an opportunity to take small jabs at historical American racism and regionalism, while portraying many of the young soldiers as dysfunctional upon return to the States.

While some of the stories are interesting, the typos and editorial politics are distracting. If you are still looking for a copy, you might catch the garbage man as he takes mine to the landfill.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 37 REMARKABLE STORIES, April 23, 2010

By 

Joseph H. Race "Jose Mango" (SAIPAN, MP United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forever a Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service (Paperback)

Millions of our men and women have gone to war, not only to preserve our country and democracy, but to also save countless others from tyranny and vicious dictators. Each one assuredly has his/her view of what happened to them and to their fellow warriors. Presently there are over 35K individual wartime/military stories cataloged in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Tom Wiener took 37 of these stories which are a cross-section of our fighting forces and their involvement in the wars. The 340-page book is not always about the gore and sadness of wars but also develops some levity and human interest sections along the way. "The Healers" is a wonderful series of stories about the nurses, docs, and paramedics who bring the victims back from the brink of death. Very interesting and admirable accounts in every chapter...makes us understand about what happens when we send our citizens off to the battle.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WW II Veteran, March 12, 2007

By 

Great Grandpa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever a Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service (Paperback)

How it really was for some who served and fought our wars.