Jerry Borrowman has written a book,
Invisible Heroes of World War II, that chronicles ten unsung heroes during wartime. He reveals a wide range of individuals and groups who sacrificed everything for their country and the cause of freedom---from Nancy Wake to the Navajo Code Talkers. I enjoyed Mr. Borrowman's perspective and though some of the stories were hard to read, I loved how he brought these unique stories to life---true heroes standing up in the face of evil. I had heard of one of the stories in my history classes, but the rest were new to me. I loved that he included women and minorities who are so often overlooked for their bravery. I also think that we might take freedom for granted and those who gave their lives for it, and this book brings the stories to life that have impact and should be remembered. As someone whose grandfather served in Korea, I really enjoyed this glimpse into the history of these heroes. My curiosity was piqued and I wanted to know more! Luckily, the author graciously agreed to give me an interview.
What made you want to write this book? I have a deep interest in the history of World War I and World War II from decades of personal reading and research, as well as having written both co-authored biography and historical fiction from these periods. I had earlier published “Compassionate Soldier,” which tells stories of people who act against their own interest to help an enemy or friend in time of battle. Those stories were well received both critically and by the public. But they spanned all of America’s conflicts from the Revolutionary War through the current conflicts in Iraq. So, we decided to go deeper into World War II to find a diverse group of people whose stories are not well known. I particularly wanted to highlight women, minorities, and support personnel whose role was vital, but whose contribution hasn’t made it to the big screens. I believe Invisible Heroes succeeds in these goals.
Pat Patton
What was your research process like? Two of the ten stories included original sources and research. For example, the story of Pat Patton, who was an American G.I. serving in the Philippines when war broke about, was based on interviews I had with Pat nearly twenty years ago. After General MacArthur evacuated from the Philippines the remaining American soldiers were left on their own with no supplies and quickly captured by the Japanese. Pat was part of the infamous “Bataan Death March” where more than 10,000 Americans were clubbed, beaten, and starved to death. He managed to escape and spend a year fighting the Japanese in the resistance, but eventually surrendered to protect the local Filipinos who sheltered the American’s from Japanese reprisals. His treatment as a prisoner-of-war was terrible, and he is representative of all prisoners-of-war, who were “invisible heroes” for fighting with all their vigor, then enduring mistreatment and hunger on behalf of their country.
For the other eight stories I typically read more than 1,000 pages of research for EACH story (three to four books, plus articles). In some cases the individual had written their own story, so I had primary source material. In others I had to synthesize a story from multiple accounts. It was a lot of work, but work that I enjoy.
Joseph "Hyalmer" Anderson
Were you able to interview any living relatives of the people in your book? I was able to do that in two of the eight stories. For example, Joseph “Hyalmer” Anderson was a young man from Ogden, Utah who lied about his age to join the Navy (he was too young). His training aircraft became lost in bad weather while on a training mission over the northern end of Victoria Island in Canada. The wreckage wasn’t found until more than six months after the crash. There, it was discovered, that Joseph had nursed some of the surviving crew members for as long as possible before they died of exposure. He had single-handedly buried each of his buddies as they passed away in the harsh winter. Finally, with no chance of rescue, he’d set off into the woods, never to be found. What makes this story particularly poignant is that from where he crashed, he could see the lights of a Canadian city across the bay, but he was never able to rouse their attention, even though he built fires and used mirrors. He died alone, his remains never found. His story is representative of the more than 77,000 “missing in action” from World War II whose families never received closure. These soldiers are completely invisible.
I share these details because the way I came to this story is that nearly ten years ago my wife and I were on an Alaskan cruise with Lloyd Kartchner, Hyalmer’s nephew. He asked if we’d like to get up at 5:00 a.m. one morning of the cruise to join him in a memorial service as our ship passed by the place where Hyalmer went missing and lost his life. I’m not an early riser but I knew it meant a great deal to Lloyd, so we joined him at the stern of the ship as he related the story and talked about how much his mother had missed her younger brother. Even after 50 years she cried each time she thought of him. It was an extremely moving experience to be part of that memorial, and I knew this was a story that had to be included in the book.
The stories can be difficult to read in the context of the horrors of war. Were any of the stories harder for you to write and research than others? Pat Patton’s story was the hardest because of the way the Japanese guards treated Filipino and American prisoners. I had to remind myself that the discomfort I felt was nothing compared to what Pat endured, and how hard it was for him to share the story. I believe people need to know just how hard war is so we fully appreciate the sacrifices of those who serve, and so we do everything possible to avoid war.
Do you come from a military family yourself? I do not. My father served in the Navy in World War II but his ship, the aircraft carrier “U.S.S. Lake Champlain,” was completed too late to see combat. He helped bring U.S. troops home from Europe. I had an uncle who served in the U.S. Rangers in the South Pacifi, and his life was badly disrupted by the violence he saw. A handsome and cheerful young man, he returned home and turned to alcohol to escape the nightmares and memories. He was never as happy or carefree as he was before the war because of those experience, and I count him as one of the victims.
Was there one act of heroism that stood out to you and stayed with you more than the others? Each story was my favorite as I was writing it. I’d often say, “there can’t be a more moving story than this.” With that said, the story of Nancy Wake is amazing. She was an Australian who moved to Europe long before the war. She married a wealthy Frenchman, and used her position in the community to help American G.I.’s escape to Spain from Italy. When the Gestapo moved in she escaped to Spain and then to London where she said she wanted to use her fluent French to aid the resistance in Northern France. In time Nancy commanded more than 1,000 Maquis (French resistance fighters), even though women were not usually cast in leadership roles. She was AMAZING!
What book are you reading right now? I’m reading several books about U.S. Destroyers in the Battle of the Atlantic and at the D-Day landings since I’ve decided to try my hand at fiction, once again, after nearly eight years writing non-fiction.
What lessons did you learn from writing this book? I gained a greater appreciation for the groups and individuals who served in the military out of a patriotic impulse, even if they were the subject of discrimination here at home. It takes a special kind of person to set their own hurt aside to serve a higher purpose – freedom – despite advserity.
What is your next book about? I just finished a new non-fiction book that I personally love, entitled “Disasters – True Stories of Catastrophe and Recovery.” It’s time to take it to the market to see if an agent or publisher will publish it. I think it would be a great airport bookstore title and have high hopes for it. The book I just started writing is “Of Destroyers and U-Boats,” which is an historical fiction account of the men who served on our smallest ocean going ships, but who saw the most amount of action in the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Isn’t it great that I get to do all that wonderful research!
If you have a chance, pick up your copy of
Invisible Heroes of World War II this July 4th!
Here is a list of the stories that are highlighted in the book:
1. Pat Patton: Abandoned at Bataan
2. Nancy Wake: The White Mouse of the French Resistance
3. Joseph Hyalmar Anderson: Missing in Action
4. Joseph Medicine Crow: The Last War Chief
5. Dickey Chapelle: American Journalist
6. Navajo Code Talkers: Heroes of the Pacific War
7. The Purple Heart Battalion: Rescuing the Texas 1st (Japanese Americans at War in Europe)
8. Combat Engineers: Builders and Soldiers
9. African Americans at War: Heroes Despite Prejudice
10. Rosie the Riveter: Women in the War Industries
Here is the back copy:
Invisible Heroes of World War II, documents ten fascinating true stories of a diverse group of soldiers and noncombatants from all over the world, including African Americans, women, and Native Americans, who fought with the Allies during World War II. These heroes made significant contributions in the war effort, and sometimes gave their lives for freedom and liberty, often without much recognition or fanfare. Some were frontline soldiers who were captured by the enemy and endured horrific conditions as POWs, others were ordinary citizens who fought in the French Resistance and provided vital operations to undermine Nazi occupation, while others were engineers, workers in industry, or war correspondents and photographers. All served with valor and distinction as part of the massive Allied forces who fought to free the world from tyranny and oppression.
