Additional information
by Dennis Whitehead (Author)
Love and Sacrifice is the never-before-told story of a father and son killed in World War II. The book follows the Reed family through the first half of the 20th century as they travel the country and globe in military service. Their stories are told through letters, diaries, and the vivid recollections of wife and mother, Mildred Reed. The text is illustrated with over 300 images interwoven to illuminate their stories.Mildred Boddy and Ollie Reed were born on the windblown prairies of northwestern Kansas. High school sweethearts, Ollie could have attended West Point but decided to stay near Mildred. Attending Kansas State University in the approach to WWI, Ollie joined ROTC. As war drew closer, he left school for the infantry, beginning a lifelong military career.Mildred and Ollie married but army duty often kept the couple apart. Mildred joined Ollie when possible, always aware that each station could be the last before he left for war.Ollie was not called overseas but traveled from his post on Long Island to Connecticut in January 1919 for the birth of their son, Ollie W. Reed, Jr.Lt. Reed was called to Europe to serve in the Army of Occupation in the Rhineland with Mildred and Buddy joining him.Back in the US, a second son was born, Ted. Ollie remained in the Army through the inter-war years. Captain Reed led military science programs at Drexel University in Philadelphia and Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. Wentworth was an honor, and Ollie hoped his eldest son would follow in his footsteps.Graduating from Wentworth, Buddy was accepted to West Point. The rigors of the academy proved daunting.Ollie was assigned to the Philippines. Mildred wrote with great flourish of the new and strange world around her. Japan threatened and American families were evacuated. Ted left first while Mildred refused to go. She left in time with Ollie not far behind as he fell ill with malaria. He was recuperating in San Francisco when Pearl Harbor was attacked.Buddy graduated West Point in 1942, the first class to graduate into WWII. He broke the heart of a girl back in Lexington when he married Laura immediately after graduation. A brief honeymoon led straight to Ft. Banning for training and then assignment to the 91st Division in Oregon. There, Laura became pregnant. Lt. Reed left his young wife and infant son for the European war.Ollie was also called overseas, first to the UK for D-Day prep and then command the 175th Regiment in France. The war of the hedgerows raged and men died, Ollie wrote to ease Mildred's mind, simply asking for her prayers.At this same time, Buddy landed in Italy as a platoon leader in the 363rd Regiment. Then, the unthinkable happened.The book harkens to a simpler time in America with a mother leading a family through frequent relocations, raising two sons, and then holding the family together with strength derived from a firm belief in God and the goodness of humanity.Adult and young adult readers will enjoy the book, veterans and military families, as well as those interested in military history, American history, and genealogy. U.S. Senator Robert Dole wrote this: "Love and Sacrifice is an essential story in the history of World War Two and the entire era. Indeed, this is a story from the heart of America of a proud Kansas family. The sacrifices the Reed family made for their country and for freedom are still being made today by our military families, and the message of hope arising from adversity rings as true now as it did then."Goodreads review, Susan posted: "There is an incredible amount of historical information in this book, all connected by the journeys of this one family, whom we get to know almost as intimately as our own. Following them through the triumphs and travails that seem so familiar to our own lives, it's hard not to feel a deep nostalgia for times gone by. I loved the family, loved the history, and loved the book."2017 revision, in B&W.
Author Biography
Dennis Whitehead is a writer, photographer, and media producer in Arlington, Virginia. He is a graduate of Ohio University, and veteran of the New York and Los Angeles bureaus of The Associated Press. He has worked in a variety of journalism and documentary roles in Washington, DC. His photographs have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the globe. Documentary work has included Eva Hitler geb. Braun for SAT1 of Germany, as well as Hallowed Grounds, Nikola Tesla - Master of Lightning, and The March of the Bonus Army, with New Voyage Communications for PBS. Whitehead is the author of The Day Before the War recounting the events of August 31, 1939 along the German-Polish frontier that ignited World War II in Europe. His feature stories from the Second World War have appeared in After the Battle (UK), World War II History (US), and Ha'aretz (Israel), among many others, including an essay on photo manipulation, "What's Wrong With This Picture?" for Editor and Publisher magazine. Whitehead was a longtime contributor to Hubert Burda Media of Munich, Germany. He was the creator and editor of Focus on Media, an regular feature report for Burda executives and editors on media news and trends in the United States.
