MYRTLE BEACH, SC – According to the Veteran’s Administration, only 697,806 out of 16 million veterans who served in World War II are currently living today. This means that we have lost 96% of our WWII veterans.
Brightwater, a retirement community in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has found a unique way to celebrate the legacies of 18 of their members who served in the last Great War by releasing a book entitled “World War II: Veterans of Brightwater and their Stories.”
The anthology is a joint effort between five members and six students of the Memoir Writing Class for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach. Other people in the class helped with typing, editing and proofreading. Each story reflects the combined style and individuality of the soldier and his biographer. The book is dedicated to “all veterans here at Brightwater and throughout America.”
“The book idea started from a conversation with Anne Commerton, one of our members, and Darlene Eichler, who teaches the memoir class,” said Social Director Wendy Gatzke. “They realized that there were many veterans at Brightwater and that each of them had a story to share about their experiences. These men purchased our freedom with their service and we wanted to honor their contributions to this country.”
The following veterans are featured in this book:
- James Bird
- Joseph Dalgliesh
- George Davidson
- Raymond Del Sasso
- Ken Fisher
- William Hitchens
- James Kendrick
- George Koskinen
- Paul Larkin
- Paul Martin
- Frederick McCabe
- Hank Mense
- Girolemo Musso
- Robert Pasqualiccho
- Arthur Roehrl
- DeLoss Smith
- Daniel Williams
“Sadly, one of the veterans who is in this book passed away prior to its release,” continued Gatzke. “There is such a need for urgency in celebrating WWII veterans.”
For more information about the book, you can contact Wendy Gatzke at 843.903.8317.
