LOST TO HISTORY by SARA HARRIS

Bitty the Historian (and me) making silly faces

As some of you may know, my sweet husband and I have six children. This past weekend, our eight-year-old, Bitty, informed us that he spent all morning researching "history" on his phone. Then, proceeded to teach us all he learned . . . that Hitler's first name was Adolph (which was obviously short for Dolphin). Then, he moved on to the Civil War. The places the soldiers fought in this war were battlegrounds!

As Bitty was giving us a very inspired history lesson, his ten-year-old brother Dawson chimed in. "History is boring," he said. "Why does it matter what happened in the past? We are never going backwards, we are going forwards. We need a class that looks into the future."

This same sentiment was echoed in several of my classes when I taught history to middle schoolers. Why bother looking backwards?

Dawson, the Future-torian

I sat my boys down and shared a piece of my heart with them. "Looking to the past is the best way to look to the future. It's especially fun (yes, I actually said fun) to look to the past and look at other people's mistakes and what happened because of them. That way, us in the future, don't make those same mistakes. We can do better than they did."

Maybe something hit home. I know it did with Bitty and most all of my middle schoolers through the years. However it got me to thinking about people lost to history. The ones who did not make the headlines, but who lived remarkable lives and had heroic tales nonetheless.

A Heart on Hold, my debut novel and book one of four, is one such tale. It follows the life of Confederate Captain E.A. Adams from Arkansas. As I was researching him, I couldn't find anything about him after his wartime days cameA Heart on Hold, book one of my Everlasting Heart Series!
to an end, even in his hometown newspapers, or any mention of family that lived after him. However, his story lives on in

Discovering a Side of my Dad I Never Knew

(With Memorial Day coming up, I thought I’d share this personal story about my father, who was a veteran. Let’s take a few minutes to think of those currently in our military branches and all of the veterans, who through the years have served to preserve, protect and defend our country and our democracy.)

    My father served in the Army during World War II. He was stationed in Europe, was wounded, and received a Purple Heart.

     He never spoke of his service. He died in 2009. And that’s all we ever knew about it.

    Until now.

    In sorting through our parents’ attic, my sister and I discovered a small box filled with mementos related to his experiences as a soldier

    He was drafted into the Army and assigned to the 4^th Infantry. We found his draft card.

                      

            

                             Dog tags                                                    Wallet

But the most interesting find was a yearbook-style history of the Word War II experiences of the 4^th Infantry. I never knew these accounts were compiled and published, let alone that my father had one.

     

   

There are photos and accounts of the experiences of the 4^th Infantry. In the margins at several points, my father had penciled notes of his personal experiences.

           




And in the back of the book are pages and pages of photographs of the men who fought in the various companies. Many of them look like young kids. And the sheer numbers in just the 4^th Infantry begin to bring home a sense of the unimaginable numbers of service people who fought in World War II.

                    

Tucked inside the book, was one clipping:

My dad and I were never close. Finding these mementos, which were important enough for him to keep all these years, has given me an intimate look at a side of him I never knew. I wish he could have shared recollections of his war experiences with me.

 In a way, I guess, he has. 

Have you discovered a side of a parent you didn’t know about when you were growing up?

New Release -- HOLLOW HEART by Sarah J. McNeal -- Giveaway!

Sarah J. McNeal will be giving away an ecopy of Hollow Heart to one person who leaves a comment, so be sure and leave your contact information to be placed in the drawing.

BLURB

Madeline Andrews is a grown up orphan. Sam Wilding made her feel part of his life, his family and swore he’d come home to her when the war ended, but he didn’t return. With the Valentine’s Ball just days away, the Wildings encourage Madeline to move forward with her life and open her heart to the possibilities.  But Madeline is lost in old love letters and can’t seem to let go.

EXCERPT

February 13, 1946

    Madeline Andrews opened the cedar box of letters from Sam Wilding once again. Dinah Shore sang Laughing on the Outside on the radio that sat on her dresser. Snow flurries drifted by the window and added to the foot of snow already accumulated on the ground. The letters, although worn from their travel across the many miles from the war in Europe and her frequent readings, brought her a small amount of comfort. The lingering smell of cedar, leather, some foreign place, and Sam’s particular scent wafted in the air as she lifted the last letter gently from its envelope. It was dated June 4, 1945—the day before the invasion of Normandy.

My Darling Madeline,

I can’t tell you where we’re headed, but I hear it’s something big and probably dangerous. Don’t worry though; you know how tough I am. I’m used to sleeping under the stars on hard ground and chasing after big animals who don’t want to cooperate. I think I can handle a few Germans.

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