Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Frederick “Red” Joseph Killmeyer, Jr. was born in 1923. He was a delightful child full of energy, antics and a fiery temper that fit his red hair. He was in high school when he met Gladys Steinhardt, she would later become his wife.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor raised a fury throughout the USA. Red wanted to crush all of the Japanese. He enlisted and went to flight school.

It was Christmas Day 1944 when Red’s plane was hit. He was forced to jump and captured by the Germans. Interrogation was brutal. He ended up at Stalag Luft along with 9000 POWs. Back in the states Gladys was giving birth to their son, Rick. Thanks to Ham Radio Operators Red and Gladys managed to communicate a little. Eventually Red made it back to the states, his wife and his son. Red wasn’t the same fun loving, light hearted guy when he came home.

The war affected everyone. We can only imagine the affect it had on POWs and their families. Karen Patterson shares her father’s story with the world. He and all the brave men and women that have ever served in the United States Military are heroes and should never be forgotten.

I was immediately interested in this book. My father-in-law was a Marine in WWII. He fought gallantly and was injured on the beaches of Iwo Jima. His injuries brought pain and scars throughout the remainder of his life. He wouldn’t talk much about his war experiences. Instead he kept it bottled up inside of him. He has since passed away at the young age of 53.

It seems that most WWII veterans prefer to keep their experiences to themselves. I suspect they live with nightmares brought on by the raw emotions of a young man or woman faced with the ravages of war. I’ve heard that war is romantic; I doubt many veterans would agree with that statement.