When the call of duty came, these men and woman took up the challenge without question and without regret. "Last Letter Home - War, Love and Remembrance" tells the stories of normal people who walked away from their daily lives to put themselves in harm's way in the name of service, honor and country. They all have important stories to tell, and "Last Letter Home" gives them the chance to do it. The book tells the stories from nearly a century of service, from one of the few remaining survivors of World War I to the those who served in the current conflicts in the Middle East. Also included is a small piece of Civil War history you probably never even heard before. Here you'll meet a teenager who was too young to serve in 1916, so he lied about his age and enlisted anyway as a doughboy in the trenches of France. You encounter men who landed on the beaches of Normandy during World War II, aviators who flew missions over Vietnam and soldiers who trekked across the sands of Iraq. You'll meet a Jewish girl who sneaked into Nazi Germany as a spy, a man who endured radiation poisoning and would gladly do it again, and a young man who went looking for his long-lost father in the jungles of Southeast Asia. You'll learn why a man honors a group of dead veterans he never even met and spend time with aging veterans who make it a point to visit military funerals so they can send their comrades off with the dignity they deserve. You'll also read the stories behind two of the most iconic photos in American history: You'll meet the woman whose kiss turned into one of the most famous images of World War II. And you'll encounter a man who swears he helped raise the flag on Iwo Jima, if only anybody would believe him. These stories are heartbreaking, patriotic and inspiring. And each one of them is true. It wasn't always easy for these warriors to talk about their experiences, but it's time for them to share their deeds with others. The stories in "Last Letter Home" are heartbreaking, patriotic and inspiring. And each one of them is true.
About the Author: Josh Grossberg has been a journalist for nearly 30 years. His work has been published in such far-flung places as the Los Angeles Times to the Kurdistan Times. His articles have received local, state, and national recognition, including the Associated Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Copley Ring of Truth and the Los Angeles Press Club. Josh is the author of From "Scamp to Champ: How One Puppy Gave Hope to the Blind and other Animal Stories." He currently works as an editor and reporter at a daily newspaper near his home in Los Angeles.