by Cara Putman
Christmas 1943 was a slog up the boot of Italy for Allied
soldiers. Knee deep in mud, the fighting couldn’t have been more intense or
miserable. The Germans had the high ground, and the Allies had to slog 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 slogging
around 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.
Every 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 right now. 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 those 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:
Purchase links:
Christianbook.com: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1141766&item_no=681783
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadowed-by-grace-cara-putman/1115951174?ean=9781433681783
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433681781/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433681781&linkCode=as2&tag=carput-20
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadowed-by-grace-cara-putman/1115951174?ean=9781433681783
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433681781/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433681781&linkCode=as2&tag=carput-20
About the book:
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?
People can read the first chapter here: http://caraputman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Shadowed-by-Grace-chapter-excerpt.pdf
Happy New Year. 2014 has arrived in CA! Sounds like a good book about the War in Europe. Lots of changes in communication, news reporters, etc these days. Now reporters are 'imbedded' with the troops. Thanks for your research. wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHappy 2014 Cara! Shadowed by Grace is phenomenal, and learning about the Monuments Men is so interesting! I'm curious about the cover of the book where it says: I'll be Seeing You in Italy. Is this book going to be part of a new series you're doing? Thanks for a great post and an awesome book!!
ReplyDeleteAs someone whose childhood was so influenced by WWll, your post brings back so many memories, some happy and some sad. Good memories like collecting tin foil and rubberbands and doing without because we ran out of ration stamps. We didn't have instant news from the front as we do today with television, satellites and internet. We watched newsreels of the war and I cried. I still have difficulty with movies about that war and the images from the concentration camps are engraved in my mind forever.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do enjoy your books about those times. Your research is deep and shows a great amount of respect for those who fought because you want to "get it right" and honor them. Looking forward to reading Shadowed by Grace.
Happy New Year, Cara. May you and your family have a blessed year.