Synopsis "Class of 1940: Coming of Age in World War II"
Like many World War II veterans, Jeb Fletcher has never told his offspring the details of his military service during the war. During a visit to Jeb's home in southwest Virginia by his grandson and great-grandson from Chicago, his progeny press Jeb to talk about his experiences in the Army. After the three Fletcher males bond over shooting an old shotgun and visiting the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford and two local cemeteries, Jeb agrees to talk about his military service. He encourages the two younger Fletchers to ask their grandmother to tell her World War story, also. As the action flashes back to the 1940s, Jeb and his wife reveal surprising stories from their teenage and wartime years, including: - a fatal hunting accident, - stories of the senior year of the Class of 1940 of Halesford High School, - a vendetta against Jeb by classmate Dick Drumheller, - Jeb's and friend Cal's joining the National Guard and being called to active Army service, - Ginny Jackson's pursuit of a nursing career, - Ginny's and friend Liz's service as Army nurses, - deployment to Great Britain, - romances in England, - the battlefields and hospital tents of France, - Jeb's investigation of German atrocities, and - return to Virginia and England. The story is set in Virginia, military bases in the U.S. and Great Britain, and the battlefields of France. It is a story of one generation--some believe the greatest generation--growing to maturity, under fire, during the most cataclysmic event in world history. It is a story of adventure, service, heroism, sacrifice, and love.
