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Cara Putman | Remembering The Greatest Generation
January 10, 2014
Seventy years ago young men from the Allied countries were slogging up the boot
of Italy. The mud was up to their knees in some places, and the fighting
couldn't have been more intense or miserable. The Germans had the high ground,
and the Allies had to fight for every inch up hill -- after hill -- after hill
in their slow march from Sicily. As I studied the Italian campaign, I realized just how much I had overlooked.
You see, I've long been a World War II history buff. There's something about
that generation that Tom Brokaw dubbed the Greatest Generation that resonates
with me. My grandparents and their generation did what needed to be done, with
no thought to an alternative. They just did what it took. On the homefront, that meant rationing was in full effect. Sugar cookies
disappeared to be replaced by sweeteners like molasses. Still ladies in North
Platte, Nebraska, and surrounding towns, saved their precious sugar so that the
boys going through on the Union Pacific troop trains could have birthday cakes.
If there wasn't a birthday, then the ladies would select some young man in
uniform and offer him the cake. Women would knit socks and scarves for the boys fighting to restore freedom
across Europe. Children conducted scrap drives, hauling their wagons throughout
neighborhoods. War bonds were bought with every spare penny...all in an effort
to win this all-encompassing war. In the spring of 1944, things would slowly begin to change in Italy. The Allies
would begin to make progress after some blunders like the bombing of Monte
Cassino. Now, Monuments Men would work alongside the fighting forces to preserve
Western civilization from this first war with widespread aerial bombardment. In
Rome, the Germans left without bombing the cathedrals while in Florence they
destroyed priceless bridges and buildings during their exit. In June the day after Rome was liberated, D-Day occurred on the beaches of
Normandy. Attention shifted to the European mainland as the battle continued.
Everyone hoped this meant the war was near an end. But as winter and another
Christmas approached, the Allied troops slogged through yet another harsh season
of fighting. The Battle of the Bulge was another brutal fight through blizzards
and fierce cold in the forests leading to Germany. Yet on they fought. On the homefront continued. Ever forward. The commitment was total and complete. As the calendar turns to 2014, I pray we never forget. So many of the 70th
anniversaries in WWII are occurring this year. May we remember the destruction
at Monte Cassino in February. May we rejoice at the peaceful liberation of Rome
in June even as we honor those who died valiantly on the beaches of Normandy.
May we celebrate the art recovered in the hills of Tuscany as we mourn the
destruction of irreplaceable and ancient bridges in Florence. And may we never forget the sacrifices the Greatest Generation made so that we
could enjoy the freedom we have today. Cara C. Putman
graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27.
An award-winning author of seventeen books with more on the way, she is active
in women's ministry at her church and is a lecturer on business and employment
law to graduate students at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management.
Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman
is currently pursuing her Master's in Business Administration at Krannert. She
serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an
organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her
husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at: Facebook | Twitter
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Goodreads Rachel Justice is desperate to save her dying mother. She doesn't want to leave
her, but she accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy and
photograph war images. No one knows her photography is a cover and that Rachel
is really seeking to find the father she never knew, hopeful to get some help
with her failing mother. Dedicated to her mission, Rachel is focused on
completing it. Soon, though, she finds her priorities and plans changing when
she is assigned to Lt. Scott Lindstrom, on mission as a Monument Man. Their
meeting will have far-reaching consequences. Will this derail her plans? Will
she ever find her father? Is her faith enough to carry her through? One commenter will win a copy of COVERED BY GRACE and a
journal to write your own story.
Comments
34 comments posted.
Re: Cara Putman | Remembering The Greatest Generation
Your book sounds very interesting. I would love to read it!
(Kathy Morrison 12:45pm January 10, 2014)
I love learning more about this time period, such an amazing generation of people!
(Diane Pollock 1:03am January 10, 2014)
I would love to read this book. This is the kind of thing I enjoy the most.
(Joy Yerkie 8:08am January 10, 2014)
Yes, I remember the aluminum scrap drives and also meeting trains at White Plains RR Station and selling war bonds in my Girl Scout uniform. Proud of every minute and we won the wars too. Those were the GOOD OLE DAYS.
Book sounds like you did some excellent research.
(Patricia (Pat) Pascale 8:47am January 10, 2014)
What a wonderful-sounding book. I would love to win. But even if I'm not a lucky winner, you can bet I'll be getting it to read. I am totally intrigued. Thank you for the chance to win.
(Nancy Reynolds 9:18am January 10, 2014)
Sounds a lot like life when we have to make hard choices.
(Theresa Norris 9:24am January 10, 2014)
Sounds like something my wife would love to read!
(Richard Proctor 9:42am January 10, 2014)
I remember listening in when my father and his friends
compared their WWII stories. So many men served, that it was
a cohesive experience for that generation, and despite
hardship and danger, it built loyalty and a sense of unity.
In contrast, I never heard a word from my grandparent's
generation about WWI--it had involved a smaller percentage
of American men, and their experiences were apparently so
horrible that few would ever discuss them.
(Janet Martin 9:47am January 10, 2014)
As soon as you said Italy, I was hooked! Can't wait to read
this book!
(Maria Proctor 9:55am January 10, 2014)
Sounds like a compelling story. I'm looking forward to reading it.
(Rita Wray 9:58am January 10, 2014)
First, let me take my hat off to you, as a matter of speech!! I don't know how you can get involved in all of these wonderful things with your life, considering the fact that you're raising 4 children!! As for your book, I'm thrilled that you're keeping History alive!! My Father served in WWII, and although he's spoken little about what he did there, I DO know that he earned a Silver Star for his bravery, along with other medals. I also know that he almost got killed by the Germans overseas, while he was in a trailer, with another soldier, sending coded messages to the troops. General Patton was his Commander. Anyway, I absolutely fell in love with the cover of your book, and know that I am truly going to love the book itself!! I read anything having to do with WWII, partially because of my Dads' involvement with the war, and partially due to the fact that I'm a result of the war effort, so to speak. I've always had a fascination with the atrocities that occured, and feel that more books should be kept out there so that the younger generation should be kept informed about what happened not that long ago. Thank you again for keeping the truth out there!!
(Peggy Roberson 10:05am January 10, 2014)
I would love to read (better yet win) this book. As soon as you said Italy, I was hooked.
(Lori Yost 10:56am January 10, 2014)
Your wonderful and captivating post caught my interest for
the topic which is of great interest to me and your novel
that is memorable and unforgettable for the importance and
profound subject. Wishing you the best of happiness, success
and enjoyment. World War 11 books, and novels are for me
reading with meaning, depth and lives long in my heart and
soul.
(Sharon Berger 11:03am January 10, 2014)
My grandfather was one of those veterans who did what was needed. He is one of the world's greatest men. I loved your post.
(Michelle Willms 11:26am January 10, 2014)
I am also a world war II history buff and love to read anything pertaining to it. Thank you for writing this book.
(Denise Austin 12:42pm January 10, 2014)
Thank you for a wonderful post. My father, his brothers, and my mother's brothers all served in WWII. The modern US needs more heroes just like them.
(G S Moch 12:54pm January 10, 2014)
My father was in World War II and flew 26 missions embedded in the belly of a fighter plane as a bombardier. He suffered terribly from PTSD before it was ever recognized as something to be dealt with. I believe he never recovered and 'mourned' himself into an early grave. I wish he could have gotten the help he needed. He was a true American hero in every sense of the word but he never felt that way at all. Thank you for honoring my dad and others like him with your kind words and your book. I would love to read it.
(Lynn Estep 1:41pm January 10, 2014)
I am all in on this one!
(Melanie Backus 2:16pm January 10, 2014)
Would love to read about a time when my own dad served our country. We couldn't get many details from him (as nobody talked about it), although a few years before his death in 1990, he finally admitted to being more worried about gonorrhea than dying from "the enemy".
(Elaine Seymour 2:43pm January 10, 2014)
I truly do enjoy historical novels. This one sounds very close to home. Thank you for offering this contest.
(Vennie Martinisi 2:48pm January 10, 2014)
sounds like a wonderful tale. my dad was in italy in ww2
(Debbi Shaw 4:25pm January 10, 2014)
Your new book sounds intriguing. I am looking forward to reading it.
[email protected]
(Amy Kincade 5:01pm January 10, 2014)
I would love to read your new book.
(Wilani Wahl 5:03pm January 10, 2014)
Just reading your blog, I was left with a sinking feeling, just knowing the price that was paid for the freedom we enjoy today. A big Thank You to all veterans.
(Sheila True 8:28pm January 10, 2014)
Your book sounds great, We must keep those stories alive, fiction can get into the heart and soul of those men and women. Would love to win your giveaway. hint..hint..
(Barbara Studer 8:40pm January 10, 2014)
Your blog is a great testament to how much has changed in the
world over the past 70 or so years. I love how you did your
research for the book.
(Glenda Martillotti 10:24pm January 10, 2014)
My parents grew up during this era but they were living in China at the time. That is probably why the World War II era just fascinates me.
(Kai Wong 1:01am January 11, 2014)
My Father served during WWII. He never talked about it much.
(Mary Preston 3:12am January 11, 2014)
The story of the war in Italy is not so well-known today,
and yet it was a matter of Italians caught in the middle of
opposing countries, locked in a fatal position with lack of
clothing and food. Soldiers of the Allied Forces who tried
to reach them found themselves struggling to survive in the
Long March. I know, two of my Dad's cousins were on that
march. I am so glad you researched this part of WWII and how
these brave individuals withstood the pull from three
countries in opposite directions...Spain, Greece and Russia,
amazes me. As I said, it is not a well-known campaign or
perhaps I should say it has not been glamorized in
succeeding years. I remember everyone rolling bandages at
home, knitting socks, vests, etc. (I think that's when I
learned to knit) and I still have a couple of the knitting
books with the patterns that were approved. They belonged to
Mom and Grandma. I was 5 when Dad came home. We are in
Canada. The story deserves to be told. Thank you for doing
just that.
(Betty Gelean 3:41am January 11, 2014)
I would love to win this. I would review it and share it with someone else. I love what I read.
(Jane Squires 2:19pm January 11, 2014)
I would love to read your book and learn more about WWII. My father also served in WWII. Those were very harsh conditions for the men and they had little to eat. I'm sure the younger generations have no idea, other than what's in school history books as to what those times were like, as well as what events transpired. We can all learn from authors who do their research and write more about it for future generations. It's always interesting to hear it straight from the men that served, but there aren't many of them around still living. My father passed away in 1997, and I didn't read the book written which was a diary kept daily by a fellow crewman on his ship until 2012. I found many things in it which I wished I could sit down with my father and discuss with him. He read the book many years before his death and had told me he had always wanted to write a similar book himself. There were many parts in this book that left me feeling very sad and tearful for what hardships they endured for our country.
(Linda Luinstra 4:43pm January 11, 2014)
Having gone to Rome, Italy on my honeymoon, I'm dearly in love with that country and all of it's history. Of course, hubby and I are really into WWII and all the history behind it, so this book plays into two of my passions. I'd love to read it.
(Donna Holmberg 4:44pm January 11, 2014)
Hi Cara!
I love your post and it brought back memories of my father telling me stories back in the 1960's about how many in our family were part of the Allied Forces in the time just before my birth. I didn't realize at the time it wasn't just something that meant something to me of the bravery of those strong men and the families they left behind but would also mean so much to me in the late 1960's and early in the 1970's when my husband was in the Navy during Vietnam.
My first thought is "never forget" and hopefully your story will remind people today of not just what went on before us but what all those who are in the military are doing today for us to defend not just our country but of those people in places all over the world who are facing the horrors of war on a daily basis.
(Jeanne Miro 5:09pm January 12, 2014)
My parents met in the Navy in WWII so I am always studying that period. I can't wait to see the new Monuments Men movie. Your book sounds like one I have to read. My late husband as a child had a neighbor who was Italian - he did secret missions for the Allies in Italy in the war but never would talk about them. This Generation saved our world - would we do as much? I like to think we would.
(Suzanne Walker 3:01pm January 13, 2014)
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