About James Diehl
James Diehl is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of one other work of non-fiction – “Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken,” published in 2009 by The History Press. James lives in Seaford, Delaware, with his wife and two daughters. You can visit his website at www.ww2-heroes.com.
About World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware
World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is a book unlike any other ever written. In its pages are profiles of 50 ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things during a time unlike any other in American history.
These are men and women who today call southern Delaware home. In the 1940s, these brave Americans put their lives on hold to fight for freedom and democracy against the horrific threat imposed on the world by Emperor Hirohito of Japan and German Fuhrer Adolph Hitler.
When Imperial Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, the world changed forever. These men and women were a big part of that change; they fought to protect our freedom and our way of life.
Among the amazing stories you’ll read in “World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware” are:
- A United States Marine who was a part of the 1945 attack on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. He was one of 17 members of his company who survived, a company that numbered more than 300 at the beginning of the attack.
- An Army soldier who was responsible for uncovering Adolph Hitler’s enormous, and illegally gained, fortune toward the end of World War II.
- An Army navigator who led a group of 500 B-29s over Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, the day the Japanese surrendered to the United States.
- A United States Navy machinist’s mate who narrowly survived a Japanese kamikaze attack.
- A United States Marine who witnessed the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor from the deck of a nearby ship.
- Men who survived German prisoner of war camps.
- First–hand accounts from the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion.
- Two black soldiers who served their country with pride during World War II.
- Men who liberated German concentration camps.
- A woman who served her country by becoming a part of the “Rosie the Riveter” movement.
- And much, much more.
Readers of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware will also receive a bonus section on Fort Miles, the immense, heavily fortified military facility built to protect the mouth of the Delaware Bay and the city of Philadelphia from an attack by the German navy. Today, the fort is being renovated and will soon become one of the largest World War II museums in the country.
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is a book profiling 50 brave Americans who fought for our country during World War II. These are men, as well as a couple of women, who today call southern Delaware home, but the book is certainly not about the nation’s first state. These are stories from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, very personal and emotional stories from the grandest war the world has ever seen. They are all heroes, and I hope I have done their stories justice during this two-year project.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
When I was a young boy, I remember listening to my grandfather tell stories about the years he spent overseas during World War II. They were fun to listen to, but didn’t carry a whole lot of deep-rooted meaning for me until I was old enough to comprehend the sacrifices he and thousands of other men and women made during the 1940s. When a longtime family friend and newspaper man in my hometown approached me in the fall of 2007 and asked if I would be interested in documenting some of their accounts, it was a no-brainer. I jumped at the chance and began delving into these stories, one week at a time for nearly a year. I later decided to publish these stories in book form so they could be treasured forever and introduced to a much wider audience.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
My children, without question. I have two beautiful little girls at home who fill my life with so much happiness. One of the best things about working from a home office is the ability to take breaks every so often and spend a little time with the kids. I’m very lucky.
What are you currently working on?
Now that Heroes is finished, I’m working on promoting the book and making as many appearances, both online and off, as possible to talk about the project. I also have a freelance writing company and am a partner in a marketing firm, so I’m trying to get caught up on some of the things that got put on the back burner while I was working on the book.
I would also like to build on the success of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware and write a couple more books profiling these brave men and women. The window is obviously closing pretty rapidly on doing such a project, so I need to move rather quickly. I’m hoping to dedicate a good deal of time to such a project over the next couple of years.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?
I’ve won several awards for my writing, but the one I’m most proud of is the first place award I won from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association for the stories that eventually became World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware. That award actually inspired me to develop the book, which I am now quite proud of.
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
There are hundreds of books on the market about World War II, but what makes this book so special is the fact that they are very personal, very emotional and so very real. These stories are about various aspects of the war, but first and foremost, they tell the personal accounts of 50 people who were actually there. These are not details you’ll find in a history book; you’ll only get this information in World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware.
What is your favorite past-time?
I love to travel with my family, though I don’t get to do that as much as I would like to these days. If I had my way, we’d take a trip somewhere every month of the year. Our favorite spot is the Caribbean, specifically the island of St. Maarten. It’s as close to paradise as you can get on earth.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I would like to ask everyone a small favor, if I may. I’ve had my eyes opened so much during this two-year book project; it’s amazing how talking to so many people who went through so much can affect you. The next time life gets you down, think about what members of our armed forces went through, and still go through, so we may live as we do today in the greatest country in the world. Our problems are trivial compared to what these brave men and women endure. It’s made me appreciate life a lot more, I’ll tell you that. The next time you see a veteran of our armed forces, take the time to say thank you. It’s sure to be appreciated.
More From tgleichner
- Interview with Laura Vosika, author of “Blue Bells of Scotland: The Trilogy”
- Interview with Garasamo Maccagnone, author of “For the Love of St. Nick”
- Interview with David W. Berner, author of “Accidental Lessons”
tgleichner Recommends
- In Search of Inspiration – The Journey of the Writing Pilgrim #7 (The World According to Dave)
- In Search of Inspiration – The Journey of the Writing Pilgrim #2 (The World According to Dave)
Pearl Harbor Day happened on December 7, 1941. Sixty-eight years later we still remember Pearl Harbor Day and the events of December 7, 1941. My husband's father fought in World War II, which inspired my husband to join the Marines and fight in Vietnam. I found your nice website after searching Google Blog so now i bookmarked! – Jannet