February 2012 Newsletter

January 25, 2012, Volume 2, # 13
Next Lecture: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Our next guest lecturer will be Carol Schultz Vento who will discuss her award winning book The Hidden Legacy of World War II. Ms Vento is the daughter of Arthur "Dutch" Schultz, the tough cigar chomping Sergeant featured in the 1962 film "The Longest Day," based on the prize winning 1959 history book, The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan.

The "hidden legacy," a subject more and more in the headlines lately, is the pernicious Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) which can destroy the life of not only the veteran but his family. Carol witnessed the struggle her father endured and the impact it had on his marriage and on herself. Anger, alcoholism, rage, were only some of the manifestations of her father's condition. Carol relates in her story the searing pain endured by the family, and her father's slow recovery.

The book describes the seldom told story of how the war trauma impacted one family. Carol's book will be offered for sale at $14.95, and she will autograph all copies.

Steve Karger's Lecture
The lecture on Himmler's Doctor generated a lot of interest. For anyone interested in seeing the entire CD that was presented, it can be viewed in its entirety on Youtube.

Future Programs
On March 20, Andrew Nagorski will make a repeat appearance. Andrew was the first guest lecturer three years ago and drew a large audience when he discussed his book, The Greatest Battle. This time Andrew will talk about his new book Hitlerland, American Eyewitness to the Nazi Rise to Power. General Wedemeyer is among the many Americans he writes about during this period of the Nazi rise to power.

 On April 17, Leila Levinson will talk about her new book Gated Grief, the story of her father, an army surgeon who landed at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 along with the first wave of American soldiers. He tended to hundreds of wounded, but was not prepared for what he experienced when, among the first group of Americans who liberated Nordhausen, the infamous Nazi Concentration Camp, he saw what had happened to tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners who had perished.

Dues for 2012
Membership dues for the year 2012 are now payable. A Single membership is $25.00 and a family membership is $30.00. Make checks payable to World War II Book Club and mail to John McLaughlin at address on this News Letter.

Book Discussion
Unbroken, the New York Times Best Seller, will be the topic of a Book Discussion at the Millburn Public Library on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:30. John McLaughlin will lead the discussion. All are welcome.