An American Family in World War II eBook Sandra O'Connell Harry Butowsky Ralph Minker
Download As PDF : An American Family in World War II eBook Sandra O'Connell Harry Butowsky Ralph Minker 
On the morning of December 7, 1941, life for families across America was forever changed by events over which they had no control, but were to witness and play a part.
An American Family in World War II is the moving story of one of those families — told largely in their own words. When Ralph “Lee” Minker Jr. entered
U.S. Army Air Cadet training in 1943,
he began a correspondence with his parents and two teenage sisters; letters that describe the rigors of pilot training and ultimately his life at “this air base
I call home,” as he flew 37 combat missions over Nazi Germany. The letters from the family members to Lee bring a vibrant reality to the home front — rationing, bond drives, and the daily tension of war — through the people who lived it. Woven together with commentary by the editors, this is an intensely personal and richly detailed account of life in America during the harrowing days of WWII.
An American Family in World War II eBook Sandra O'Connell Harry Butowsky Ralph Minker
My wife loves this book, as well as others about life during WWII. It's important to understand what people went through back then, and why. Gives the younger folks a new respect for their elders.Product details
|
Tags : An American Family in World War II - Kindle edition by Sandra O'Connell, Harry Butowsky, Ralph Minker. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading An American Family in World War II.,ebook,Sandra O'Connell, Harry Butowsky, Ralph Minker,An American Family in World War II,Word Association Publishers,HISTORY Americas,HISTORY General
People also read other books :
- Fin Gall A Novel of Viking Age Ireland Norsemen Saga Series #1 (Audible Audio Edition) James L Nelson Shaun Grindell Tantor Audio Books
- 28 Days Naked your guide to living smarter feeling sexier and loving your body eBook Heather Esposito
- Ulysses Illustrated edition by James Joyce ICU Publishing Literature Fiction eBooks
- Murder House Warriors 9781520322636 John Willis Clarke Colette Willis Books
- Purrfect Storm A Billionaire BBW Shifter Romance Purrfect Mates Book 2 edition by Misha Carver Paranormal Romance eBooks
An American Family in World War II eBook Sandra O'Connell Harry Butowsky Ralph Minker Reviews
Bought this when the author was signing copies at the (Smithsonian) American History Museum in DC. Fascinating look at the daily lives of the families of servicemen during WWII, their hopes and fears and sacrifices. Also a fascinating and extensive look into the demanding training the airmen endured, long before they were sent overseas. Really enjoyed this from beginning to end.
For all the books that have been written about the military, political, and domestic history of WW II, this book, "An American Family in World War II" (2005) is special in its personal character and in its immediacy. The book is a collection of some 200 letters written between February, 1943 and September, 1945, between a young man, Ralph L Minker, who left Dickinson University at the end of his sophomore year to enlist in the war effort, and his family in Wilmington, Delaware. Minker's correspondents include his father, Ralph Minker Sr., a minister and at the time of the letters the Superintendent of the Ferris Industrial School for Boys, his mother Edna, and his younger sisters Shirley and Bernice. At the time of the letters, Shirley was a student in a junior college while Bernice was in high school. This collection of letters was selected and edited by Captain Minker himself together with his wife, Sandra O'Connell and historian Harry Butowsky. In addition to the letters, the book includes useful background interludes on the progress of the War on the foreign and domestic fronts to set the story in perspective.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Minker left college to enlist in the Air Force. He completed a rigorous and selective course of training to become an Air Force pilot and ultimately flew 37 combat missions over Nazi Germany between October, 1944 and April, 1945. At the time he became captain of a B-17 in the 447th Bomb Group of the 8th Army Air Force, Minker was all of twenty years old, a tender age to assume the responsibility of an office and bomber pilot with a crew of ten. Most of Minker's combat flights were in a plane he named the "Blue Hen Chick" after a Delaware unit during the Revolutionary War.
In reading this book, I was moved by the picture of a close-knit, cohesive middle-class American family consisting of parents and children that obviously care deeply for each other and that remain happy and in good spirits throughout the vicissitudes of the War. A comment at the conclusion of the book (p.419) aptly describes the letters as showing "an ordinary and an extraordinary story of an American family." The letters are replete with family news, descriptions of the domestic war effort, and family love and unity. In some respects, the letters describe an America that today seems remarkably innocent. We see Minker's two sisters as they graduate from Junior College and high schools, with their ambitions, efforts at singing, and boyfriends, his father, an active member of the community who spearheads several drives for war bonds, and his mother, who takes a job outside the home to assist in the war effort and writes many loving letters to her son. In addition to the scenes of warfare and of family life in an America geared for war, there are many small instances related, such as the birth of puppies to the family dog.
The letters also present a detailed picture of the training and travels a young pilot had to undergo. The reader follows Ralph Minker through his early training in Florida through the time he earns his wings and commission in advanced flight school in Texas in 1944. There are realistic portrayals of the life of a bomber pilot, as many of Minker's missions are described in detail. It surely was a difficult awakening to life for Minker, and many young Americans like him, who, as his father observed, would otherwise have spent late adolescence and early adulthood in pursuits other than warfare.
This book was moving to read, and I found myself getting to know and care increasingly about young Ralph Minker and his family as the story progressed. When Minker left the service at the conclusion of the War, he returned to college and ultimately became a minister. The book could have used additional information on Minker's life, especially for the period immediately after the war. The adjustment must have been difficult, and the letters leave some loose ends. For instance, Minker maintained a correspondence with his high-school sweetheart throughout the period of his service, and we never learn what happened to this relationship when Minker returned.
The title of this review, "Eulogy of Affirmation" is taken from the title of a speech Ralph Minker gave in 1991 at the 46th anniversary reunion of the 447th bomb group. The speech is included in the book (p. 420). The phrase captures well the story of the selfless service that Minker and many Americans like him gave during the days of World War II. It is a story that may continue to inspire Americans during our own difficult times.
Robin Friedman
Far from home in the 1940s, Ralph "Lee" Minker, Jr. contributed to the United States' war effort by sending toothpaste tubes back to his family. During World War II, Americans were told that because of an acute shortage of metal, the lead/tin alloy in those tubes containing dental paste was needed as scrap metal for the war effort.
This is one of the plentiful and delicious tidbits in "An American Family in World War II," a poignant look at the daily lives of everyday Americans in a time when circumstance transformed many into heroes. The focus is on Lee Minker, who flew 37 combat missions at the controls of a B-17 Flying Fortress with the 447th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Station 126, Rattlesden, Suffolk. Letters to and from Minker describe everyday life, military life, flight training, and combat flying. What is most touching about the correspondence and comments in this text is the way "Family" recaptures real life by real people at a turning point in history. Minker, a reservist and clergyman in the postwar era, was inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of fame in 2005. Minker's wife Sandra O'Connell and historian Harry A. Butowsky lovingly and thoughtfully assembled his correspondence. The book is well illustrated.
The book is the recipient of the Silver Medal of the Military Writers Society of America.
A national poll in the 1980s showed the B-17 to be the "most recognized" aircraft in aviation history, surpassing the Wright Flyer, DC-3, Boeing 747 and Spitfire. More than anything else, this book would benefit from a different title. "B-17 Pilot" would have been apt.
There are glitches. The trainer identified as a P.T.-17 (p. 129) was a PT-17. The term AFB for "Air Force Base" (p. 273) did not exist during World War II and is used only for bases on U.S. soil.
These are minor nitpicks of a moving and valuable book that is enjoyable to read and makes a great gift.
Mission to Berlin The American Airmen Who Struck the Heart of Hitler's Reich
Excellent source for understanding the day-to-day experiences of a family and its combat pilot son during WWII.
This book is really amazing! Composed from over 800 letters written between a young bomber pilot, Ralph "Lee" Minker, and his family at home in Delaware, it leads the reader through the trials and tribulations facing Americans during WWII. The details and historical references set the stage for the reader to understand where and when things are happening in the world. All in all, this is an amazing testament to the strength, solidarity, and patriotism of the American family. A must read for all!
This book brings back a lot of memories, hidden away for years. A must read for those who lived in that period, and a good read for those who are complaining about the wars of this day, they have no idea of how much a country can do to support the troops and get together to do a job. Excellent.
This warm and delightful book gives a wonderful account of what World War II was like for a family in Delaware--and for their son and brother, who was a pilot flying bombing missions in England. The authors used family letters and augment the narrative with explanations of what was happening. This is a side of the war that you will not find elsewhere, and you will marvel at how the family at home coped and how a young man matured into an air combat veteran. I recommend it highly.
My wife loves this book, as well as others about life during WWII. It's important to understand what people went through back then, and why. Gives the younger folks a new respect for their elders.
0 Response to "[LCS]∎ Libro Gratis An American Family in World War II eBook Sandra O'Connell Harry Butowsky Ralph Minker"
Post a Comment