Stories in Uniform: A Look at the Heroics, Sacrifices, and Triumphs of Our Soldiers

by the Editors of the Readers Digest

Readers Digest     2013

224 pages     Nonfiction

The Shortlist

Stories in Uniform, out in time for Memorial Day and Father's Day, will be a wonderful gift for a father or grandfather, or for a teenage boy who is a reluctant reader. The Readers Digest has culled stories and histories from the conflicts and wars the United States has engaged in since World War I. There is an excellent history of the D Day invasion in World War II. Then there are short essays about heroes, personal stories of bravery, and narrations of the kindnesses of soldiers in wartime. The most remarkable part of the book is that the stories are written by the luminaries of war reporting, such as Lowell Thomas and Carl T. Rowan. Each story is a gem from the pages of The Readers Digest..

I was born during World War II, and my father pictured was a Marine in the South Pacific. I didn't see him until I was two years old. I was about seven when the Korean War came, and I will never forget the discussions between my parents when my father was called to serve. There were now three children, and my father had been promoted to Lt. Colonel in the Marine Reserves. Ultimately, he resigned his commission and did not go to Korea. I was a young adult when every man I knew was faced with the decision of what to do during the Vietnam War. My future husband stayed in school and then became a teacher because they weren't calling up teachers. A cousin served. My brother had one of the last draft numbers to be called up. He chose to be a conscientious objector, and my father, who had been proud to serve his country, stood beside him as he plead his case before the draft board.

All this is history for my grandchildren. Ancient history. Yet, if we do not keep the histories of wars alive, we will be doomed to repeat them. Books like Stories in Uniform help keep the histories of our military conflicts alive for future generation.

Here is a good review that appeared in the Huntington WV newspaper:  http://www.huntingtonnews.net/62556