Forever And A Day Blog

Eric, I am enjoying reading your book, and although we are not related(that I know of) your book has touched a cord with me.. It seems like a life Ive led.. I thumbed through the book to the page that had my home town on in.. Grand Island Nebraska. Then reading about how your father conversed while seperated, reminds me of my times deployed to two different wars.. Gulf War and Iraqi Freedom. I also just read about your fathers time in North Fort Lewis, I have spent alot of time there ( I was just there in Sept 2009). Everytime I come home from there I am sick, seems like the sickness is in fact embedded in those old buildings that were new when your father was there.. Your book is very well written and a very intersting read.  Thanks for writing it..

1SG Jon Jensen

I would encourage all you have not already heard, to visit the What’s New page to playback a recent interview.

“ERIC , I am reading Forever and a Day now, and can’t lay it down. It’s a GREAT BOOK!”

Don Walker, President

USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) Association.

“Eric, I like your book! But must confess–I don’t read it like it is a  novel. I just like to pick it up, open it, and start reading Forever and a Day, much like meeting a friend on the street–you greet each other and enjoy a friendly chat . Your book certainly restores memories of how the civilians had to prepare to support the WW2 effort. The majority of folks today have hardly any concept at all of the deprivation civilians went through at that time.  I liked that bit where the car owner back home was advised to run the tires until they were smooth before recapping. Sound advise!  In the recapping process, the tread (old rubber) of the tire was first buffed off–right down to the cords.”

Arnie Freitag
843rd Signal Service Battalion,
Northwest Service Command in Canada and Alaska

Eric,

Just an quick message, I just finished reading your book yesterday. This is a truly wonderful account of the many challenges faces by both the service person as well as his/her family. I learned a great deal more about WWII, and was especially touched by the difference (and similarities) of the experiences of your numerous uncles and father.  Several accounts by Uncles Bill and Robert were of interest due to your reflections about possible PTSD.  Reading your father’s account of the hardship he faced in the Yukon was so insightful.  It gave a very realistic picture of the weather, isolation, distance, and other concerns faced by many of our military even today.

Again, congratulations on a terrific book. I loved it. Your writing was excellent– descriptive, easy to understand. You gave just enough details without “boring” the reader with minutia.  Thanks for giving the world your family’s story.

Janet J Seahorn, Ph.D

Dear Eric,

I just finished Forever and a Day. It was wonderful! Thank you, thank you for sharing your family experiences. The connection for me was immediate. Although your mom and dad were ten years older than mine, the letters that were going back and forth, I’m sure, were the same–some filled with passion, others with the mundane of everyday life, and all waiting for the end of the war.

I really appreciated your research. I knew very little about what was going on in Canada or many other parts of the world at the time.  It feels to me that you traveled to most of the places you wrote about and that perspective contributed a lot to the larger picture.  Thank you very much for adding that line about the 81st Infantry Division on Pelielu where my father died. I thought you added that paragraph just for me.  To be honest, I had to stop several times for a short cry. So many of your lines hit home. They all went through a great deal.

Most sincerely, Don Waldera

Eric:

I just finished reading your book.  It was outstanding!  Although somewhat familiar with key events of the war in both Europe and the Pacific, your specific descriptions of specific locations and events gave me a better understanding of the reality of what was happening as related to specific people, namely, your father and uncles.  It brought back many memories of my family’s experiences while my dad was away for three years during the war and how my mother coped with two sons, a 9 year old (me) and my brother, a 14 year old, and trying to survive without a husband and father.

The most enlightening part of the book related to the little known experiences of those who fought the war in Alaska, Canada, and the Yukon where your father served. Very few people know about that phase of the war and you described that “battlefield” exceptionally well. Those folks were truly courageous warriors in a most unique environment. They certainly deserve more credit than they have ever received.

The most meaningful aspect of the book was the love story that threads its way throughout the book between your father and mother.  The simple expressions of love for each other through their letters revealed a deeply felt relationship and trust for each other, under difficult circumstances, and that is what true love is all about. It was beautiful! Your parents left you a wonderful legacy of love.

Thank you,

George Feather, Colonel USAF Retired

Dear Eric,

I really just wanted to congratulate you on your book. Thank you for the opportunity to learn more about your family  and to say how much I admire you for responding to the inspiration that you felt when you came upon those letters which ultimately put in context the conversations you had with your mother after your father had passed away.  The world’s a better place for your efforts to help others understand our greatest generation.  I look forward to talking to Gene about the book when we next are together.

I’ll close with a smile recalling the family coyote, Zeke, and Roy’s letter when hewanted to milk a cow in Normandy. I am still wondering if they succeeded in getting some fresh milk!  A nice, cold glass of milk would be just fine right now!

Warmest regards,

KEITH KNUDSON, Lt Col, USAFR

Commander 332 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron

Integrity, Service, Excellence