The Elder Statesman

By BILL DUNCAN
The View From Here

I received a letter in May from Wilbur A. (Bill) Bailey of Roseburg asking me if a self-published memoir of his World War II experiences was worthy of a wider publication. Wilbur, the answer is a firm Yes.

But will it happen in today’s publishing world?

I have to be honest and tell you No.

And to have to tell you that makes me angry. Because Bill Bailey you tell a wonderful, well written story in your book, "From Postmaster — Special Delivery." It is a story of every day Americans who became heroes although Bailey starts his memoir saying "I was no hero." He says he just wrote the book for "more or less something to do" and concludes "it is unlikely anyone would give a hoot what an ordinary guy like me did or saw."

Bailey did his entire soldiering with Co. B, 41st Tank Battalion, 11th Armored Division, a unit in Gen. George S. Patton’s Third Army. He began his Army service as a draftee from Long Island, N.Y., but later became a lieutenant. His unit had the code name of Postmaster because, the company commander was the son-in-law of the Postmaster General of the United States.

Bailey’s story is filled with anecdotes that put a human face on the horror of war. He was in the bloody battle of the Bulge. He tells about his company discovering the slaughter of refugees by the German SS. "Almost every 20 feet along the road, we could see one of the emaciated persons lying on either side of the road, a bullet hole through the head."

Bailey said "fortunately for my sanity, I have blocked out most of the horrible details of this."

Commercial book publishers probably don’t give a hoot, Bailey, but this nation does. In the year 2000, Congress created the Veterans History Project, a written and oral history project in which veterans tell their war stories, which are then kept at the Library of Congress.

The problem is the Veterans History Project relies on volunteers to collect and preserve stories of wartime service. I think it is a worthwhile project, so I am calling on volunteers to help tell the stories stored in the memories of a generation that is dying off at the rate of 1,000 World War II veterans a day — so there is a certain amount of urgency.

According to the information I received in a telephone call from Bob Massey, a reader in Fairoaks, Calif., the Veteran History Project wants personal narratives of World War II vets told in written memoirs or done by audio or video-taped interviews. The history project wants letters, postcards, V-Mail correspondence and personal diaries. It also seeks visual materials such has photographs, drawings and scrapbooks.

While the interest is of course on veterans, the project also seeks stories from those who supported the war effort as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors and medical volunteers.

I have read accounts written by Marion Young of Myrtle Creek, Ore. who was a Red Cross worker in the European theater during World War II.

There must be hundreds of stories, written and unwritten, by those who served in World War II, that should be included in this Veterans History Project. Interested readers can receive more information at http://www.loc.gov/vets/ or write to The Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington DC 20540-4615 or contact me at P.O. Box 812, Roseburg, OR 97470.

I will volunteer, with Bill Bailey’s permission, to see that "From Postmaster — A Special Delivery" is included in the Veterans History Project,.

In conclusion Bailey said "I disagree with the label that ours was the ‘greatest generation.’ Today, a farmer or rancher risking his life to save a cow or a horse, is just as courageous. Daily, police, firemen and rescue crews face dangers every bit as deadly as enemy fire."

While I don’t agree with you, Bill, the fact remains that the unspeakable memories you "blocked out" need to have a voice.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 9:57 am and is filed under Column. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.