Book Review: Voices From the Past

By Farris Yawn

As many people know, members of what is known as the Greatest Generation dont often share a lot of personal war stories. Many of the people who came home from WWII kept their war experiences to themselves.

As time passes, there are fewer and fewer of these veterans left, and some people are trying to record these first-hand accounts before they are lost forever. Denver Peardon is one such person.

Denver sat down with these veterans in their homes or assisted living centers and wrote down their experiences to share with the world. Denver stated, For most veterans, it was very difficult to share their stories. I have a couple of them that took years to agree to talk about the war, and some still refused. I feel like I am keeping a secret from the rest of the world if I dont share what I have. We have all heard the stories of famous divisions or famous individuals from World War II, but these are the stories of the local, everyday soldiers that you very rarely hear from. Some stories may be difficult to understand or to relate to. I didnt want to change anything because it would not be the accurate history. The stories are told in the words of the ones who were there.

For this collection, Denver has stories from William Pressley, Fred Goodwin Sr., George and Rae McLaughlin, Louis Moysin, H.T. Padgett, Charlie Harrell, Carl D. Beck, Jake McGarity, Floyd J. Land, Leland and Elsie Bell, Louis and Fran Wagner, Cecil Page Davis, Alfred L. Butterworth, Wilmer Frady and Cliff Nolte. Their stories will carry you from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, to Pearl Harbor, to Casablanca, to Calcutta and all points in between.

We owe an enormous debt to these men and women, and everyone should read and share their stories of fighting for our freedom. Everyone who puts on a uniform should be celebrated as part of the Greatest Generation.