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Jan Cline

follow your heart...keep the faith

True life WW2 story by Gail Kittleson

by Jan Cline
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We have a winner for Gail’s book! Thanks for all the comments and congratulations to Caryl Kane!

 

I’ve invited my friend, Gail Kittleson to tell us about her new WW2 release, Until Then. A great read and extra special because of the real life person it’s based on.

In Gail’s words…

 

My D-Day release Until Then (after the World War II song), features a real WWII nurse. Dorothy Woebbeking grew up in Waterloo down the street from the Sullivan brothers. Her older brothers played with the five Sullivan boys who enlisted in the Navy and perished together.

Three of Dorothy’s brothers also enlisted in the Army or Marines, and so did she. I think she would appreciate something I read the other day.

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.    Milton Berle

Short and sweet, this sentiment fits Dorothy’s modus operandi.

So often in the dangerous trek of the Eleventh Evacuation Hospital across North Africa, through Sicily, up the boot of Italy, northward through France and into Germany, she built doors when opportunity failed to knock. The nurses’ first commander’s welcome included a warning: they’d be going home soon, most of them pregnant.

But the nurses persevered and tended the wounded through terrible heat, torrential rain, snowstorms, and a ruthless enemy that sometimes aimed at hospital tents’ obvious white cross. These faithful workers determined to save wounded GIs—or to stay with them through the throes of death.

Dorothy’s tenacious service through five long years gripped me.

So did another story, the worst civilian tragedy of the war, which occurred in a poor London borough and would affect the community for decades.

Verbalizing our pain helps at such times, but the war department ordered silence among the survivors, lest Hitler hear and think he’d gained the upper hand. This edict struck me as understandable, yet nearly unbearable.

I’d never tied together two such divergent stories, but the more I wrote, the more I loved them both. Until Then took shape, and so far, readers have provided so much positive feedback—that’s all an author could ask!

Here is an excerpt from Until Then:

 

The doc stopped near a patient whose chest barely rose and fell. Worse, what was left of his body took up only a third of his blood-soaked gurney.

Sometimes you will see a basket case with all limbs missing…
The surgeon lowered his voice. “The tourniquets failed. He’s

bled out.” He drew a long breath. “Sodium pentathol to the jug- ular—lethal dose. Pronto.”

En route to the supply tent, Dorothy passed a grimy chaplain. Good—at least she wouldn’t be facing this all alone.

Against North Africa’s flat horizon, stifling heat enveloped encroaching darkness. In a smaller tent lined with cabinets of jars and bottles, she rubbed her trembling hands.

Craaack… Someone smacked into something near the tent— hopefully not with a loaded gurney. Profanity echoed as she located the right bottle.

Breathe. Steady, steady… Pull back the stopper. Wait for the glass tube to fill.

Careful to protect the syringe, she pushed a mass of thick damp hair from her forehead, and through a morass of sweaty litter bearers, re-entered the surgery. Halfway to her GI, a tipped-over waste receptacle blocked the aisle.

A corpsman grabbed the handle. “Sorry, nurse.” 

Beside her patient, the haggard chaplain touched the patient’s head and studied his dogtags. When the GI’s eyelids fluttered, the chaplain whispered, “Psychological shock, but perhaps he’s still cognizant.”

He eased his hands under the patient’s neck. “The Lord is my shepherd…”

Suddenly wide-eyed, the young man shot Dorothy a searching look as she grasped a small pouch of skin below his chin.

“Need a boyfriend?” His jaunty tone matched the light in his eyes, and the chaplain’s slight nod called up her voice.

“Yeah. Yes, I do.”

Pimply blue-gray epidermis accepted the needle. Above, on a wire between two tent poles, a single light bulb revealed the instant effect.

Ever so gently, Dorothy removed the needle. Labored breathing tapered into full silence, and she sought the hankie Mama gave her before she left home. But blood coated her fingers, so she ran the back of her hand over her eyes instead.

The soldier’s head slipped sideways as the chaplain made the sign of the cross. “May you rest in peace…” 

More about Gail:

“A hopeless World War II era addict, Gail lives in Northern Iowa and enjoys grandchildren and gardening with her husband of 41 years. She facilitates writing workshops, and in winter, enjoys Arizona’s gorgeous Mogollon Rim Country.”

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Gail’s book. Your choice of Ebook or print.

 You can buy Until Then HERE.

 

Follow Gail on these social media sites:

http://www.gailkittleson.com/
www.facebook.com/GailKittlesonAuthor
http://amazon.com/author/gailkittleson
www.twitter.com/GailGkittleson @GailGkittleson
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Filed Under: fiction, history, novel, writing, WW2

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cynthia Roemer says

    August 19, 2019 at 6:04 pm

    Hi Gail & Jan,

    This sounds like a novel I would enjoy reading. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 19, 2019 at 9:47 pm

      Thanks for stopping Cynthia.

      Reply
  2. Janet Chester Bly says

    August 19, 2019 at 7:08 pm

    Such a gut-wrenching scene. Am partial to WWII stories because my father endured the Battle of the Bulge at 19 years old. Blessings, Janet Chester Bly

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 19, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      Oh my, Janet. We had a man who also served in that battle. Amazing how these men returned to normal life – in our case, he quietly farmed until he died in his 90’s. Do you know any specifics about your father’s experience, even though most of them didn’t talk about it?

      Reply
      • Janet Chester Bly says

        August 19, 2019 at 11:07 pm

        No specifics concerning my father’s experience. We didn’t even know about his involvement until after he passed away and I received his regiment’s battle journal. He was among those who did not talk about his war experience.

        Reply
        • Gail Kittleson says

          August 19, 2019 at 11:15 pm

          Wow…is his battle journal basically where they went and when? Like a diary?

          Reply
          • Janet Chester Bly says

            August 19, 2019 at 11:56 pm

            Yes, but it’s not a personal diary as such. It was prepared for the whole regiment as a historical record.

        • gail Kittleson says

          August 20, 2019 at 12:12 am

          Got it. At least they kept a record!!

          Reply
  3. Gail Kittleson says

    August 19, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    Thanks for allowing me to visit, Jan.

    Reply
  4. Caryl Kane says

    August 19, 2019 at 10:25 pm

    Until Then sounds amazing! Thank you for the opportunity,

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 20, 2019 at 5:09 pm

      I really appreciate your interest, Caryl.

      Reply
  5. Aline Pack says

    August 19, 2019 at 10:29 pm

    Looks like a interesting book
    Thank you for the chance 💕

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 20, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      I really appreciate your interest, Aline. Does your name have a story behind it?

      Reply
      • Aline Pack says

        August 20, 2019 at 5:49 pm

        I was named by my father, I have his
        Initials. Not sure where he found name? He passed when I was young. My mom Didn’t remember.
        I’ve heard it is a old name Southern or Victorian ? Oddly enough I’ve meant 2 people in my life . Once when I was little, at a carry out the worker was elderly with a name tag I was so excited. Second when I became a nurse my STNA on my hall was Aline. It was great for our patients lol.

        Reply
        • Gail kittleson says

          August 21, 2019 at 1:52 pm

          So interesting . . . thanks.

          Reply
        • Gail Kittleson says

          August 21, 2019 at 1:54 pm

          So interesting…esp you as a chlld discovering someone had the same name! Thanks.

          Reply
  6. Florence Fales says

    August 19, 2019 at 10:46 pm

    Thank you for the chance to win this wonderful giveaway!!! Best of luck to all!!!

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 20, 2019 at 5:08 pm

      Thanks for stopping by, Florence.

      Reply
  7. Beverly Laude says

    August 20, 2019 at 1:19 am

    Sounds like a fascinating, heartfelt story!

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 20, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      It truly is. The book launch with Dorothy’s family, including some grandchildren, was really something!

      Reply
  8. Susan Campbell says

    August 20, 2019 at 12:00 pm

    I will have to read this book. It looks very inereesting.

    Reply
    • Gail Kittleson says

      August 20, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Do you read WWII novels often, Susan? I have such a stack awaiting me!! This era simply overflows with such intriguing stories.

      Reply
  9. Jean says

    August 20, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    Would love to receive tre book. I love books about people who lived during the world war 2

    Reply
    • Gail kittleson says

      August 21, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  10. Jan Cline says

    August 23, 2019 at 3:42 am

    thanks to all who commented. We have a winner. If it’s you, you’ll be notified soon.

    Reply

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Elijah’s Story is written by Jan Cline and narrated by James L. Rubart.

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