If you live in the Berks County area, you might have seen my book, Ordinary Heroes, featured in an article on the front page of today’s Reading Eagle. The newspaper discussed the book and some of the men in it as part of their Veterans Day coverage. It’s a great writeup and I’m honored to be involved.

The feature is split into several parts, which you can find archived on the Reading Eagle’s website.

Stories of “Ordinary Heroes” No Longer Untold

Gordon’s ordeal is recounted in “Ordinary Heroes: Untold Stories of World War II,” a book by Steve Wagner and Sharon Wells Wagner of Spring Township.

The Wagners, a mother-son writing team, interviewed about 65 Berks County World War II veterans for the 383-page tribute.

The veterans’ compelling stories stand as testament to the courage of their generation. Children of the Great Depression, they grew up amid economic devastation. They had good reason to doubt the promise of America.

Interviews Took Authors 2 Years

Wagner and her son, Steve, a 26-year-old graphic designer, spent two years interviewing about 65 Berks County veterans who served in World War II. Their stories are recounted in “Ordinary Heroes: Untold Stories of World War II,” which was published last year.

Documenting the experiences of the veterans has become a mission for the Wagners, a mother-son writing team. They’re now working a third book.

Event to Honor Vets

A celebration of veterans and their service to the nation will be held Saturday at West Lawn United Methodist Church, Penn and Woodside avenues.

The event begins at 11 a.m. with remarks by Berks County Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach followed by presentations by authors Carol Haile, Steven A. Wagner and Sharon Wells Wagner.

There will also be book signings by the authors and World War II veterans, and an art show and sale to benefit the charities of the church. Admission is free.

Hit the links to view the full articles. Besides myself and Sharon Wells Wagner, veterans Robert “Red” Wells, Paul Gordon, Charles Brubaker, Ed Taggert, Felix Uhrinek, and Kenneth Stoudt are featured. These guys, like all the men and women in the book, are true heroes and I’m proud to call them my friends.

Many thanks to Ron Devlin and the Reading Eagle for their salute to the veterans.