CityView Magazine

40 July 2023 GOOD READS Celebrate the spirit of July 4 with a book about the defenders of American freedom BY DIANE PARFITT P eople who have grown up in Fayetteville or lived here for many years all have some connection to Fort Bragg. Many came here because of the military or for work opportunities on post, but almost everyone has engaged with some of the thousands of troops and their families at one time or other. On the occasion of Fort Bragg becoming Fort Liberty, this is a good time to recognize the many men and women over the years who have been a part of our nation's military, defending liberty and freedom around the world. ese military heroes are to be applauded, but to do that we need to learn their stories. Here are just a few. 1. THE SOLDIER'S TRUTH: ERNIE PYLE AND THE STORY OF WORLD WAR II by David Chrisinger In 1944, war correspondent Ernie Pyle (1900-1945) had already won a Pulitzer Prize, and his newspaper column was followed by more than 14 million readers. He was planning to return home to America aer France was liberated to his ailing wife and the seclusion of the New Mexico desert. However, the war drew him back in, and he died in the Pacific theater during the American landing on Ie Shima, an island off Okinawa. Author Chrisinger illuminates Pyle's life and approach to reporting, how he captured "the average guy's picture of the war" by immersing himself with the troops. With numerous quotations from Pyle's writings, we see details of "victory, levity, fatigue, death, and grief." rough this gripping book, we can understand why Pyle was considered the most beloved war correspondent of World War II. 2. VALIANT WOMEN: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II by Lena S. Andrews During WWII, American women not only worked in offices, factories, and many of the jobs formerly held by the men who went off to war but more than 350,000 women served in the WAACs (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps), the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Service), and other all-female corps. While earning half of what the men were paid, these strong, tenacious women were not only nurses and teachers but also spies, draswomen, cryptologists and just about any other type of worker needed in the war effort. ere was Jessie Kontrabecki, who repaired planes for the Navy and trained men to fly them. ere was Charity Adams, who led the Black women in the Postal Battalion to break up the backlog of mail to be sent to the men at the Battle of the Bulge. ese and other women were just a small example of the "We can do it" spirit of women during World War II. 3. HONOR BOUND: AN AMERICAN STORY OF DREAMS AND SERVICE by Amy McGrath and Chris Peterson Lt. Col. Amy McGrath was the first female U.S. Marine Corps aviator in history selected to pilot the F/A- 18 Hornet fighter jet warplane and to fly combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lt. Col. McGrath had a dream of flying in the military since childhood, and this led her to a career with the Marine Corps aer graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. Besides her service in the air, she also helped change a federal law prohibiting women from flying in combat. As the author demonstrates, McGrath devoted her life to family, community, and service to our country. 4. WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE … AND YOUNG by retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway e Battle of Ia Drang is described as the battle that changed the war in Vietnam. Lt. Col. Harold Moore led 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry into the Ia Drang Valley in November 1965. ey were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers, and three days later the 2nd Battalion was brutally slaughtered. is was the first major engagement between the U.S. Army and the People's Republic of Vietnam. is account creates a vivid portrait of the American troops sacrificing themselves for their comrades "Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices." —Harry Truman 2 1 3 4 5 6

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