WWII My Father's Journey: Friendship - War - RomanceIt's the summer of 1942 and the country is at war. Roy, a twenty-year-old from Illinois, enlists in the army
along with his high school friend, Lyle. As he pursues his own goals as a combat soldier, the army imposes
its own version of Roy's future by assigning him to the medical corps of the 5th Army. It is a transformative
time for him while in the States and overseas.
He finds that authority in the army can be acquired in unusual ways. His experiences teach him that
justice can depend on circumstance and location. He learns that justice can be defined by the one who
wields the authority at any moment in time.
Roy's "don't tread on me" philosophy and his adventuresome spirit often place him in serious danger.
As a young soldier in Africa and Italy, he barters for what he wants, sometimes resulting in unexpected
consequences. He also observes how money can buy that which should never be offered for sale.
The horrors of war challenge a person's ability to cope and this soldier is no exception. Friendship is Roy's
anchor to a better reality. Hate and revenge coexist with empathy and compassion as he tends to patients
who are wounded, sick, or dying. And in the midst of the carnage and death, Sergeant Roy Kerr discovers
love.
The number of surviving veterans of World War II is rapidly diminishing. Their personal stories need to
be preserved for future generations. The story of this soldier is based on information obtained from tape
recordings that Roy, my father, left behind and a lifetime of storytelling. He is gone, but the memory of
him and of his time as a soldier should not be forgotten.
