Writing the War: Chronicles of a World War II Correspondent - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1633881040 ISBN 13: 9781633881044

Verlag: Prometheus Books, 2015

Inhaltsangabe

As expansive as it is personal, this chronicle of World War II is a firsthand account by a journalist and the woman he would marry of the dramatic events that engulfed the world in the middle of the twentieth century. The correspondence between Charles Kiley and Billee Gray also tells the poignant tale of two young people in love but forced apart by the circumstances of war. Edited by Charles and Billee's daughter, son, and son-in-law, this never-before-published compilation of letters is a striking example of the heroic, call-to-duty spirit that characterized "the greatest generation."

Charles was a soldier-journalist for the U.S. Army's Stars and Stripes newspaper and reported on the war from London, Normandy, Paris, Reims, Belgium, and Germany. As the sole reporter allowed direct access to Eisenhower's staff, he was the only reporter on the scene when the German high command was negotiating its unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945. Among his army newspaper friends and colleagues was Andy Rooney, later CBS correspondent and 60 Minutes commentator. Billee, like many young women of her time, witnessed the war years from the home front and filled vital civilian roles--defense-industry plant worker, Red Cross volunteer, war bonds salesgirl, and civil defense plane-spotter--and wrote about it all in her letters to Charles. 

Peppered with fascinating details about soldiers' and civilians' lives, and including Stars and Stripes articles and personal photographs of the era, Writing the War is both important history and a tribute to two remarkable people as well as their extraordinary generation.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Anne Kiley is a freelance writer, editor, graphic artist, book designer and photographer. 
 
Thomas Pellechia is an independent writer specializing in food and wine. He has written dozens of freelance magazine articles, has been a newspaper columnist in Western New York for two decades, and is the author of five previous books, most recently, Over a Barrel: The Rise and Fall of New York’s Taylor Wine Company. 
 
David Kiley is a journalist and editor, having held senior posts at USA Today, Businessweek, AOL, the HuffingtonPost, Adweek, and CNN. He freelances for the Chicago Tribune and Automobile Magazine, and is the author of two books on the automobile industry.

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Writing the War

Chronicles of a World War II Correspondent

By Anne Kiley, Thomas Pellechia, David Kiley

Prometheus Books

Copyright © 2015 Anne Kiley, Thomas Pellechia, and David Kiley
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-63388-104-4

Contents

Acknowledgments, 9, 
Introduction, 11, 
Prologue, 15, 
Chapter 1: January–April 1942, 21, 
Chapter 2: April–October 1942, 47, 
Chapter 3: November 1942–February 1943, 111, 
Chapter 4: March–July 1943, 155, 
Chapter 5: August–December 1943, 205, 
Chapter 6: January–February 1944, 271, 
Chapter 7: March–May 1944, 301, 
Chapter 8: June–July 1944, 347, 
Interval: August–November 1944, 373, 
Chapter 9: November 1944–April 1945, 379, 
Chapter 10: April–June 1945, 425, 
Epilogue: After the War, 455, 
Bibliography, 461, 
Index, 463, 

CHAPTER 1

JANUARY–APRIL 1942

I can hear a soldier playing, "You Made Me Love You," on the piano in the Recreation Hall next door. It seems appropriate because it reminds me of Asheville. Not that you did make me love you — that was as natural as the rising and setting of the sun. [Charles to Billee, March 1942.]

* * *

The War: Following the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Congress strengthened presidential war powers. The New York Times complained that war messages out of Washington, DC were confused, but to the men in uniform — as well as their friends, parents, siblings, girlfriends, wives, and young children — it was clear that thousands were being trained at military bases to fight war in Europe and in the Pacific.

Under the War Production Board, the manufacture of civilian consumer goods took a back seat. Women who had never worked before outside of their homes were encouraged to take defense production jobs; with gasoline and tires rationed, many rode bicycles to and from work. To save electric power, in January President Roosevelt signed the Daylight Time Act, extending daylight for one hour; it was scheduled to last only until the war's end.

On January 2, the Japanese army pushed Filipino and American forces onto Bataan and then Corregidor; soon thereafter, Libya fell to Germany's Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps. With Germans in uniform blanketing the European continent, the one ray of hope to the Allies was the ill-equipped German Army bogged in the snow on the Russian front.

While the sighting of two Axis submarines in the Gulf of Mexico prompted a complete blackout along the Texas coast in late January, the first units of the newly established American Expeditionary Force arrived in Northern Ireland as the result of the US decision to build up American forces in Great Britain.

* * *

[Charles to Billee, written in Charles's hotel room while Billee waited for him in the lobby.] January 18, 1942 — Asheville

Thought I'd like to drop in and say "Hello," tonight and to remind you to be a very good girl until Saturday when I give the command, "Present arms!"

Give my sincere thanks, again, to mother and my best regards to Miss Heffernan [a long-term guest at Oak Lodge], Marguerite [Billee's friend], Evelyn [Fragge, an Asheville friend] and the rest.

* * *

[Charles to Billee] January 22, 1942 — Camp Croft, South Carolina

I had the inclination to drop in and see you tonight but I suppose the least that can be done under the circumstances is a little chat by mail.

You may have seen the news in the paper, or heard it on the radio, that Uncle Sam is instituting a full six-day week for the Army. I haven't heard yet whether it will affect us. However, if it does, I'll still be heading for Asheville [this] Saturday night.

I called home Monday night and gave my mother a description of the Gray hospitality. She asked me to thank your mother again, for her.

Do you know, I spent another restless night [last] Sunday. Seems like I wanted to turn back the clock to Saturday night. I wish such things were possible.

* * *

[Charles to Billee, written after their second weekend together in Asheville.] January 26, 1942 — Camp Croft

I was wrong, but I wish I was right; which is to say, you didn't keep me awake last night. Yes, I did sleep like a baby, just as you said, but you were the last one I thought of before the sandman dropped by. Strange, or is it ... you were still in my mind when I awakened at 5:30.

As I write this, I'm listening to the radio over which a broadcast from Ireland is coming, describing the arrival of the first detachment of the AEF to Europe [Allied Expeditionary Force]. I can't help feeling a thrill to hear that at last we are doing something concrete about giving peace and serenity to our people.

But we can find nicer things to talk about, can't we?

For instance, I'm looking forward, so much, to next weekend. With a visit to the Grove Park Inn cocktail lounge, not to mention approximately 21 hours with you. I'm certain it will be a weekend I'll never forget. I believe I won't want to go to sleep, in fear of awakening to discover I've been dreaming for these weeks.

* * *

[Charles to Billee, written after their third and final Asheville weekend, before the transfer to Fort Dix.] February 2, 1942 — Camp Croft, S.C.

We haven't much to do today except give the barracks a final scrubbing and there isn't anything I would rather do more than "talk" to you. That is, unless I could be with you in the flesh.

Do you know, we were the victims of a conspiracy? As soon as the bus got over the mountains last night the heavens were as clear as spring water and the moon was full, and oh, so big! Then I could only look and miss you some more. Somehow, I couldn't think of much other than "our moment" Saturday night outside the Inn. Things like that just happen once in a lifetime — to me, at least — but I'll always remember and look ahead to the time when we can go to the same spot, contented instead of being restless with anxiety.

* * *

[Charles to Billee] February 3, 1942 — En Route to Fort Dix, N.J.

I hope to cover my trip in chronological order so I'm starting from the beginning. The time now is 2:30 and we are on the train waiting for it to pull out of camp. Johnny Joyce [a Jersey City friend and also a private in the 135th Infantry, 34th Div.] and I are seated together.

3:00 p.m. — The train pulls out with over 1,100 men aboard and the band plays "Auld Lang Syne." I have a funny feeling of wanting to stay behind, to rush to Asheville and be with you. I can't remember ever missing anyone the way I miss you now. John has a wistful look on his face, too, as he looks over the camp for the last time.

5:00 p.m. — We have passed Gastonia and Gaffney and have been served a hasty dinner. Not very good but there are only a few grumbling.

7:00 p.m. — I have been playing cards and reading to pass the time but now the porter is making the berths and I'll have to leave you for awhile again.

9:30 p.m. — We are stopping for 15 minutes at Danville, Va. so it is a good time for me to get a sandwich and coffee in the station if we can.

10:00 p.m. — We have "turned in" and before I put the light out, stare out the window as the night and trees rush by, and think of you, I'm going to kiss you goodnight.

7:00 a.m. — (Wednesday) I woke at 6:00 to discover we were stopping...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Prometheus Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2015
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1633881040
• ISBN 13: 9781633881044
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 479
• Herausgeber: Kiley Anne, Pellechia Thomas, Kiley David
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Simon and Schuster Netherlands BV, GPSR Europäische Union; info@simonandschuster.nl; ; Herculesplein 96; Utrecht; 3584 AA; Niederlande