ZigZagPass Love and War A Memoir by Leon Hesser
%20ED%20web.jpg)
ZigZagPass
Love and War A Memoir by Leon Hesser
ZigZag Pass is a memoir of the author’s chilling experiences as a teenage Infantryman in battles in The Philippines during World War II and his later service in the Army of Occupation in Japan. Interwoven is a love story. When he returned home to the girl he left behind, they married as soon as he turned 21. They had two children and farmed in Indiana until he was 30, when his wife convinced him to sell the farm business and enter Purdue University as a freshman. He and his wife both earned doctorates, and were drawn to careers that relieved hunger and poverty in many countries. The author attributes their climb to the world stage to his being fascinated by cultures in The Philippines and Japan that differed from those he had grown up with in the Midwest of the United States. The book offers a challenge to young people to set their sights high, to reach for the stars.
Reviews
Very interesting and compelling read. I personally found Leon's book interesting not only because of his military action, Zig Zag Pass and as a combat medic, but also because of his fascinating career in agricultural science. Tom J. Thiel, 24th IDA webmaster and former Taro Leaf Editor.
A compelling account of a young infantryman's experiences in combat in the South Pacific during World War II. His later work as a combat medic provides insight into what was and still is one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs in war. Readers also will find interesting the story of his boyhood days on an Indiana farm and his return to 'the girl he left behind' at war's end. --Dick Stodghill, author of Normandy 1944
I loved reading ZigZag Pass. It was great! I related to so much of it. --Peter Thomas, Oscar-winning radio and TV narrator
I finished your memoir ... It is terrific! I wish I had learned WW2 history in that way. ... ZigZag Pass definitely will appeal to teens. If I were an 11th or 12th grade history teacher, I would use your book as required reading. --Jane Kiester, author of books for children and youth.
Amazon.com for about $10.00 in both hard cover and Kindle editions.
See also: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/connections/fall2005/pg12_01.htm