Getting To Know Granddad
A World War I Doughboy Diary
by
Book Details
About the Book
This is a diary that my Granddad Ora Bowen wrote to his wife and my mother (the oldest of 5 children) during his tour of duty in World War I. He started writing in his diary April 4, 1918 and continued until May 16, 1919, just prior to his homecomiing. It accounts his preparation in Hoboken, New Jersey and passage over the Atlantic Ocean to Brest, Franch. From there he was put into Box Cars and shipped to the front line.
About the Author
I was born in 1939 and since my Granddad died in 1949, I didn't have much time to get to know him. All of my memories are of him with me as a little boy under the age of 10. I do remember sitting on his lap by the fire in the living room where he used to sing to me and end his songs with "Ein swine dry fier, who is going to buy the beer…..Well Bobby…..that's who." I remember running to my mom when he would do that.
I didn't know that Granddad had written a diary of his time overseas in the First World War, therefore I didn't know of it's existence until later in life after my mother died. She had had it all that time. I kept the diary with me since her death and after my retirement I decided to share the contents.