I just finished reading the most incredible book, "Vanished" by Wyl S. Hilton. It will be published on November 5th but I was able to get an advanced reading copy. (You may see a trailer about this book here. ) "Vanished" tells a remarkable story of some of "The Long Rangers" from World War II. On September 1, 1944, an American bomber left from the island of Palau in the South Pacific with eleven men aboard: it never returned. The families were left with no explanation, or closure. The book goes into great detail about grief, that is, for the families who have lost loved ones that are classified as missing in action that there is always the hope, unlikely as it is, that their loved ones are alive. In the case of these eleven men, there were cruel rumors that some of them had survived and simply deserted their families. The chapters in the book alternate between telling the background stories of the missing men and then telling of the efforts of all those who finally located the missing plane. And the deep sea divers, archaeologists and explorers who worked so hard are worth every chapter that the author has included. One man in particular you will truly admire is Pat Scrannon. It is incredible to read of the years that this one man alone contributed. You may read more about him and the BentProp Project here.
I have written of Louis Zamperini... he was one of the "Long Rangers" of the South Pacific, so called due to the long range bombing missions which were the longest in American history. (Mr Zamperini crashed, survived for 47 days at sea and then spent two years as a POW.) Even though many know of the fame of the airmen in Europe, few know of the airmen in the South Pacific.
The author also points out that when the airmen crashed into Europe, the remains of the plane were, for the most part, over land. In the South Pacific, the ocean swallowed many of the planes and the bodies were never recovered.
"Vanished" is a very special book to me. I felt as I knew every one of these young men on the plane over the South Pacific and was quite emotional when...well, you just need to read the book, that's all I can say...
The photo that I have here is from the Veterans Day Dinner that I always attend with my Dad every November. They always have one lone table set in a special way to honor and remember those who have been declared MIA (missing in action) or POW (prisoners of war).
YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.
Gulp.
ReplyDeleteYou should read this book when it comes out. The author has given us so much about these men, you will feel as if you know them.
DeleteKay- That is one book I will certainly look for and read. It sounds like it is well worth the time and effort. xo Diana
ReplyDeleteYes, and just like "Unbroken", it might take years but it should also be made into a movie, look out for it! xx
DeleteAnd nothing of all that immense grief and pain is really necessary; wars are man-made, and so is peace. It makes me so sad thinking about how many precious lives - young and old - could have been spared, or of those who have survived, could have taken a much different course, were it not for the greatest shame of the entire human race = war.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you saw or have heard of this..."The Last Voices of WWI, A Generation Lost". It was a British documentary with the last survivors of World War I, talking about the war in their own words. It was very powerful.
DeleteWorld War 2 is something that I have devoted a lot of my time reading and researching, and there were many in the US who still wanted peace and wanted America to stay out of it when it was absolutely necessary for the US to enter into it. No one wants war but when war is declared, I am proud of those who are prepared to fight wherever they are sent. (The average age in Vietnam was 19.) I only wish that the memorial to the World War 2 vets could have been built earlier in Washington D.C, before so many of them had died.
It is truly heartbreaking to read these books that I read about wars and those who fought in them, but I think we should remember them and honor them.
This sounds like another very interesting read. You always recommend such good books, Kay.
ReplyDeleteI echo what Librarian above says. It is so awful that world leaders blunder into wars, sacrificing the ordinary men and women in the process.
Read my reply to Librarian above, you might have seen that documentary that I spoke about there. I am writing to you from Georgia where there is still evidence of the Civit War, a brutal war which pitted brother against brother, which is what all wars are about really.
DeleteOh dear, I meant the CIVIL War. I shouldn't try to reply to comments so early in the morning!
DeleteThe costs of war are so high.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Look out for this book, it's a very moving story.
DeleteThe purpose of some of those "island hopping" battles was to gain control of airfields at which crippled planes might land instead of crashing into the ocean.
ReplyDeleteI had a quote to this effect from the book, but I took it out when I remembered I wasn't suppose to quote from the book since it is an advanced reading copy.
DeleteWhen I saw your comment, I had to go back and look and make sure I had taken the quote out of my post! You must be psychic.
P.S.
ReplyDelete"Comfortable around a cuppa tea or sweet iced tea..."
Ah, yes, the South, where the tea is sweet and the cornbread isn't. I spent my first 36 years in Mississippi--and often visited relatives in Trenton, Georgia--but have been in Oregon for the past 28.
I have a friend from Boston and she puts sugar in the cornbread for her Southern husband, and I must admit, I like it that way too! (Never met a cornbread I DIDN"T like!)
DeleteWelcome to my blog, please stop by anytime! :-)
I've been helping research a plane that disappeared near Italy, whether over land or sea is unclear. War does this.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds very interesting, I hope you will write about it on your blog.
DeleteSo many astonishing and heart wrenching stories from the second world war. I have just been watching a TV programme about "the man who never was" now revealed a Glyndwr Michael.
ReplyDeleteThere are many astonishing stories and because I met so many of the vets from this war, I find them all fascinating. (Anyone reading this, put "Glyndwr Michael" into a search engine and read about this clever deception.)
DeleteI wonder if you saw the documentary that I mentioned to Meike in the comment above? It was really very moving, to hear the voices of the men, the last surviviors of World War I from Britain.
This is such a touching post, Kay....These men should never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kristi. I very much agree with you.
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