Tom Brokaw Makes Me Cry

this appeared in The Mirror

by Marie Dailey Hass, Mercer

I read a lot of Anne Rivers Siddons books. On the flyleaf is a list of books she has written. One is "John Chancellor Makes Me Cry." I have not read that book, but I have just read Tom Brokaw's latest book, "The Greatest Generation Speaks." You printed my comments on his book, "The Greatest Generation", January 6, 1999.

This is a book that needs to be read. We have a lot of World War II veterans and their stories are going to be lost. Tom tells in his book how many of those veterans are dying each year. Those of you that have beterans, talk to them, ask them to tell you their stories, and write them down.

Those of us who stayed home from the war, have our stories, too. We farmed, we had rationing for gas, sugar, food, shoes, tires, and we took part in scrap iron drives, aluminum drives, and didn't we save our waste grease, collect walnut hulls, etc? I read in one of my Mom's diaries that sugar rationing did not end until two years after the war ended. We also scraped money together to buy Victory Bonds.

I had a brother in service, three sisters had husbands in service, one brother and one brother-in-law worked in airplane factories.

Yes, we were all touched by the war. Tom Brokaw makes me cry.

The Mercer County Library has this book.

Ann Landers column yesterday was from a man who had served in the Navy submarine duty, and he felt they had been left out of the book. I would guess that Tom Brokaw will do more books.

Note from Bob: Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Marie. I will go read that book. I hope we are able to publish more stories from our veterans here in Mercer county. Some of the most rewarding and interesting stories I have published were about veterans like Denny Beavers, Leonard Hashman, and Donald Lafolette. I hope more of you veterans will come and talk to me.