Tag: stories

Small Acts of Kindness

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

I am amazed…

at how some rewards come in life. Small acts of kindness are often are returned in wonderful ways. I recall taking a load of firewood to a couple last winter. The firewood had been sitting under our shed for several years, unused, doing no one any good. Then a social worker friend casually mentioned: “Jerry, do you know of anyone who has some firewood they would give to an older couple here in the neighborhood? I am sure they would be glad to pay for it.”

 “Where do they live?”, I asked.

The following day, Saturday, I loaded up a truckload of wood and delivered it to the couple. It took me all of 45 minutes to give this act of kindness away and I  was rewarded handsomely! When I finished unloading the wood, the gentlemen came out and tried to give me money. “I don’t want your money sir! I enjoyed seeing the smile on your face when I unloaded the wood”, I said.

“Well, thank you, sir” he replied. “My wife is very sick, and the only time she feels like getting out of bed is to sit by the fireplace when we have a fire going. It reminds her of how we spent so many nights together when we were younger”.

With tears in my eyes, I responded, “sir, it is my honor to help you!” Blubbering like a child, I drove away, tears still falling from my eyes, and already paid handsomely. 

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If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. *A portion of all book profits is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

*Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources tab of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

Above: Jerry Barnes, Author of combat survivor stories

 

Thelma Lou

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Yes, I am writing about…

the actress who played Thelma Lou, Barney Fife’s girlfriend on the Andy Griffith show, also known as Mayberry, R.F.D. Still alive and in her 90s (ladies don’t want to give you their age), Thelma (Betty Lynn) now lives in Mount Airy, North Carolina, home of the Andy Griffith Museum.  Betty moved to this charming town in western NC, leaving her home in Los Angeles for the “peace and quiet” of the North Carolina town which prompted Andy Griffith to model the Mayberry show after. To say that Betty is the queen of Mount Airy is an understatement.

Still active, (age is classified), Betty appears at the Andy Griffith Museum on Fridays for a few hours to meet fans of the show and sign photographs.  A fan referred me to Betty who graciously chatted with me one Friday for about 30 minutes until “handlers” whisked her away for the autograph session. During our time together, Betty made one charming request: “Don’t show them a picture of me now, show them my young photograph”. She was and is charming and beautiful.

Betty broke into the entertainment business, in her home town of Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 17, singing in nightclubs of a family friend. USO representatives spotted her as an “entertainer of interest” and contracted her for East Coast/US hospitals to entertain troops wounded in WWII. When Betty turned 18, she joined a USO entertainment troop and entertained wounded troops for about six months. From there, her USO group began entertaining troops staging to be sent to the European War Zone.

Later, Betty and a guitar accompanist traveled to Burma to entertain troops in “safe areas”, where the British and US troops were driving out the Japanese.  It was here that Betty was given a fully loaded weapon to carry.

I’ve teased you enough. Betty’s story will appear in our next book, Angels on the Battlefield, expected to release in the fall of ’21.

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If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. *A portion of all book profits is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

*Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources tab of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

Above: Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) during her time serving in the USO

 

Two Hard Heads Meet!

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Trigger, a baby goat…

greeted me as I walked in the door of the barber/ beauty shop.

“Don’t bother the customer, Trigger”, Helen said, while completing a lady’s blow-dry.  

As soon as I sat down, Trigger started butting my leg.

“Where did you get this critter, Helen?”

“Well, his mother had four of them, but only nursed two at a time. Trigger and his sister were not able to get enough milk to make it. We lost his sister and I got to Trigger just in time to rescue him”, Helen responded. “With me feeding him by bottle every couple of hours, it looks like he is going to survive.”

I picked Trigger up and started holding him.

“You want a goat, Jerry? I got three available”, Helen said.

“I can’t imagine what Laura might say if I walked in the door with a pet goat.  But I don’t think it would be that positive”.

My mind raced to a GI who picked up a stray puppy in Afghanistan and brought him back to base. Despite misgivings, the commander could see how the critter helped improve morale and gave a reluctant “OK” for the soldiers to keep him. Over time, the dog became the pet of the entire unit and did wonders to perk up the morale of young soldiers. The little guy reminded them of home, and diverted their minds from the horrors of war, if only temporarily. 

Then one day, the dog, traveling on patrol, was killed in a battle skirmish. There is no way to describe how this incident affected morale. Grown men were crying in the combat zone as if one of their best and closest friends had been lost.

In a measure of reflection, that is exactly what happened.

This story will appear in one of my future books.

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If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 1,000 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes, you can also click the link below. For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found on the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above: Jerry nuzzles Trigger the goat.

 

A True Marine

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Claude Saunders…

a gem to meet and listen to, this 93-year-old hero quietly shared his inspiring story of marine service in two combat zones.  First, Claude served at Iwo Jima, arriving near the end of this bloody conflict and remaining with most of his marine company (about a hundred men) to clean up.

In our time together he said, “Jerry, it took months and months to gather up the discarded Japanese and American arms, and equipment after this battle. The abandoned arms were so extensive, it filled an entire Landing Vessel, over two hundred feet in length, to full and overflowing. We later took the ship to the Chinese Nationalists, then unloaded her, under constant duress, as Chinese communists fired on us”.

“From there, the Marine Corps sent me to Korea where I later fought in battles in and around the Pusan Reservoir during the early stages of the Korean War”.  

Claude’s story will appear in our third book, to be published in 2022. For more information on future books, sign up for our Friends of the Author newsletter. We will be announcing some exciting contest giveaways and other promotions for the second book,  Angels on the Battlefield.

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If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 100 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes*, you can also click the link below.

*For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above:  American hero, Claude Saunders

 

The Face of a Hero

Posted on by Jerry Barnes

Leo LeCasse…

is a true American hero. We write about this terrific man in our next book, Angels on the Battlefield.  Shot down three times, while flying B17s over the combat zones of Europe, Leo escaped all three times.

The ability to speak “passable French”, along with English, helped him as he ran for his life, over days, to find friendly territory. 

“On one occasion, German boots came within six feet or so of my outstretched hand”, Leo shares in the book. Leo flew thirty-six missions over active combat zones. 

Read more about Leo when our second book publishes soon. 

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If you enjoyed this blog, please like and share it with your friends on social media to help spread the word about Combat Survivor Heroes. A portion of all book proceeds is donated to local veteran causes. 

Be among the first 100 people to receive an advanced, signed copy of Angels on the Battlefield. You can contact me for details by clicking the button below.

If you are interested in a signed copy of our first published book of combat survivor stories, When Heaven Visits: dramatic accounts of military heroes*, you can also click the link below.

*For a discount on your purchase, leave a review of the book on Amazon, take a screenshot of your review, and email it to combatsurvivorheroes@gmail.com.

 

contact me

               

Details of the two wonderful veteran causes we support can be found under the Resources page of the Combat Survivor Heroes website. 

 

Above:  American hero, Leo LeCasse