Nurse Edith Cavell, heroine and inspiration.

Nurse Edith Cavell, Heroine of Belgium

Edith Louisa Cavell was the eldest of four children born in the tiny village of Swardeston, Norfolk,

England to the Reverend Frederick Cavell and his wife Louisa. Her childhood in the Anglican vicarage appears to have been a happy one, and the family close-knit. So when her father became seriously ill Edith left her job as governess to a Belgian family in Brussels to tend him.

Edith was in love with her cousin Ed, and it is thought probable he was with her. Unfortunately, he had a genetic nervous ailment which he felt prevented their marriage. Nevertheless, their deep love was lifelong.

Once the vicar had recovered, Edith decided to make nursing her profession. While she was working temporarily as matron at a hospital in Manchester, Dr. Antoine Depage persuaded her to return to Brussels. He opened a nurses’ training school and asked Edith to run it; the school and its clinic very quickly gained a sterling reputation both for the nurses and the patient care. 

With her clinic and training school well established in the fateful summer of 1914, Edith was visiting her widowed mother and family in Norfolk when the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated on 28^th June. War in Europe appeared inevitable.

Much to the distress of her family and friends, Edith insisted on returning to Belgium, saying she was needed there more than ever. It was the last time they saw each other. Edith was back in Belgium on August 3^rd, 1914; on the following day Germany invaded Belgium and Britain declared war on Germany. By August 21^st, Brussels was occupied by the Germans. The staff was informed the clinic was now a Red Cross hospital and as such the nurses were to treat the wounded of all nationalities but to remain impartial themselves. Red Cross nurses were not to take sides or to participate in any way in the war; the German authorities promised dire punishment would be meted out to anyone found assisting British or French personnel apart from the wounded.  At the battle of Mons the British were heavily outnumbered and forced to retreat; many allied soldiers found themselves cut off and left behind. Two found their way to the clinic and when Edith heard their story of how the Germans were shooting any allied soldier they found, she determined to do all she could to help. She sheltered the two soldiers, first at the clinic and then at her own home, while she found someone trustworthy who could guide them to the Dutch frontier. Holland was a neutral country, therefore once safely there the men could return to Britain. Afterwards, Edith set about helping everyone she could,  

She set up a small network of trusted people, some to forge papers and others to make passports. She organised safe homes where allied soldiers would be provided with shelter and money for their journey into Holland. This was desperately dangerous work, and strict secrecy had to be observed. However, the village grapevine is strong and despite every precaution taken news of her caring spread. Soon Nurse Cavell found desperate civilians, rendered either homeless by or in danger from the Germans, seeking her aid. True to her deep-rooted Anglican faith and her nurse’s training, she gave it unstintingly.

Edith with her dogs Don and Jack

In recent years it has been revealed that Edith not only assisted her fellow countrymen, other allies, and desperate civilians, she also a simple but effective spy network. The Germans became increasingly suspicious of activities at the clinic, and finally Edith was betrayed. Tricked by the Germans into thinking if she confessed her own guilt, her co-conspirators in the rescue network would go free, Edith freely confessed what she had done. On 3^rd August, 1915, exactly one year after her return to Belgium, Edith Cavell was arrested and accused of harbouring Allied soldiers. She was taken to Saint-Gilles prison, where she languished for ten long weeks.

Her brother in law wrote anguished letters imploring for information on Edith, but the British government seems to have trailed its heels in coming to her defence, saying there was little that could be done. Since the U.S. was not then in the war, it was left to the ailing Brandt Whitlock, the American minister to Belgium, to instruct Hugh S. Gibson, First Secretary, to intervene on Edith’s behalf. Despite Mr. Gibson’s strongly worded letter, the Germans remained implacable. Though not a German national, Edith was accused of treason. . She was not given anything close to a fair trial but, strong in her Christian faith, she would not lie to save herself. She admitted to having helped young French and Belgian civilians of military age as well as British and French soldiers to escape to neutral Holland, and was given the death penalty.

On the night of 11^th October, 1915, Edith met for the last time with the Anglican chaplain, Rev. Sterling Gahan. At 6a.m. on October 12^th, she and Pascal Baucq, another of her network, were taken to the firing range Tir nationale and executed by a firing squad.

After the war, her body was taken to Britain and now rests in Life’s Green in the precincts of Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk.

To Rev. Stirling Gahan, when facing death, she said, “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness to anyone.”  A monument has been erected at Tir nationale. Another monument to Edith Cavell's heroism is the mountain in Alberta, Canada, named after her, Mount Edith Cavell. My young granddaughters climbed it last summer; unfortunately owing to the indisposition of the family photographer I don't have the pictures to enclose here. I must make do with the public domain one:

Mount Edith Cavell, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Solstice - Hope, Light, and Change

by Suzanne Morgan Williams

Today is Solstice and cultures and people around the world welcome the return of longer days, or in the Southern Hemisphere the change to shorter ones. Today marks change, and hope.

These days communications are instant, reading competes with streaming video and online games, and facts are questioned for their political overtones, yet we continue to read and write historical fiction. Some people would say historical fiction is out of touch or old fashioned. Literary agents often tell writers it’s a hard sell. But to me, understanding and connecting with the past is necessary and writing historical fiction is hopeful. I hope young readers will be touched by something that might have happened hundreds of years ago but rings true to them today. I hope that children will develop a taste for, even a passion for history. Knowing our past can inform our future.

“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” – Winston Churchill and George Santayana

In order to ignore or fail to learn from history you must first know something about it. Since “No Child Left Behind” days, the push toward educational basics and skills assessment has shrunk the time dedicated to teaching history in the middle grades. With the advent of “Common Core,” one could imagine an emphasis on nonfiction historical works, but teachers were often bogged down in analysis of details and themes rather than talking about what history actually  meant to the people who lived it. The shift to nonfiction texts and primary resources, in many classrooms, made reading historical novels a luxury.

It is, indeed, time for a change. Let's see Civics, Citizenship, and History (not just U.S.) taught in every school. Our children need to understand the workings of our government, our Constitution, the free press, popular movements, and their role in these. They need to know that even at ages 9, 10, or 11 they are affected by history and politics. They deserve the truth - our democracy has been hard won and they, as citizens, can support it, change it, or let it shrivel away. They need history. As historical fiction authors it’s our job to hook them on MG history.

We keep writing. We keep reading and sharing. On this Solstice that gives me hope.

FROM FAMILY TREE TO HISTORICAL FICTION by Mary Louise Sanchez

As the holiday season  is once again upon us, our thoughts turn to family. We remember Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday gatherings. What a wealth of story nuggets we have available to us if we open our eyes and ears at family gatherings. These nuggets can make for authentic stories of historical fiction.

Authors of historical fiction often draw inspiration from their own lives and lives of their family members. Children can do the same thing. Teachers should encourage children to write and share their own stories. As Isabel Campo says, "Our universe is made up of 'vacant silences'. There is room for seven billion stories, one written by each person in this tiny planet."

Holidays are golden opportunities to get names of ancestors and details of the lives of family members, particularly the elderly. When I was a young girl, after the Thanksgiving foods were divided and the dishes were washed and dried, my maternal grandmother used to encourage me to play songs on the piano. I played the songs she enjoyed singing as a girl, when she attended school taught by  the Sisters of Loretto in New Mexico. Grandma particularly enjoyed singing The Old Oaken Bucket.

We also learned Santa Claus never visited our ancestors—not even my parents, who were born in the 1920s. In fact, my dad's northern New Mexican Christmas traditions resembled Halloween Trick or Treat today. He and his siblings went house to house gathering goodies as they asked for "Mis Christmas".  

On many Christmas Day evenings our dad played a Spanish version of the dreidel game with us. We bet using pinon nuts and never  realized this was a Jewish game because the only Jews we knew were in the Bible. How did my ancestors learn this game in their rural, northern New Mexico homes?

In my work-in-progress, The Wind Called My Name, the story is loosely based on my mother's life growing up in a small Wyoming town during the 1930s. I used the fact that Santa Claus was not a predominate figure in my dad or mom's lives in the story. My mother's maternal grandmother lived with the family in Wyoming. So, I put my great-grandmother in the story because I knew her from my mother's stories. My other great-grandmother plays a part in the story too. I actually knew her and used a little idiosyncrasy about her in the story. Some other ancestors have a part in the story because I've met them through my genealogy research. (I'm toying with putting a family tree in the Acknowledgement page).

 I gave my mom my first draft of my story as a gift about twelve years ago. Since then, I have made quite a few revisions. My father used to say my story was "all lies" because of all the changes I made to the story. He thought if you used real people in the story, then the story should be all factual. Thus, adults, as well as children, need to be taught and should understand that historical fiction stories are a combination of true facts and made-up details.

In the study of a historical fiction novel, it would be helpful to make a grid so that students can write down what they believe is factual and what they believe is imaginary. Then they can do research in various ways to check the facts about characters, settings, and plot.  These are things I do to learn more about the author and what he/she writes. This activity could certainly be used with my middle grade historical fiction novel, The Wind Calls My Name. Its anticipated debut is summer of 2018.

1.  Read the author's dedication for mention of people that might be in the story.

2.  Read the author's notes about settings.

3.  Read the author's Acknowledgement page.

4. Research character's names; historical events; places

Encourage your students to turn off their digital devices and connect to real people in their lives and family tree and see what roots they discover.

What story nuggets do you have from your own family or that you have learned about in stories?

December 7—A Day That Will Live in Infamy

Today, December 7th, is Pearl Harbor Day. On this date in 1941 Japan attacked the United States Navy fleet lying at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. President Franklin D. Roosevelt went to the Congress the day after the attack to ask for a declaration of war. In his remarks to the members of Congress he called December 7 “a day that will live in infamy.” Congress passed the resolution of war, and three days later Germany and Italy (Japan’s axis partners) declared war against the United States. After years of isolationism, America fully committed itself to participate in World War II.

This largest of world wars deserves the study and understanding by all citizens of a free world. The war had a significant personal influence on my life as a young boy, and its aftermath impacted my military service and civilian employment as I matured.

The Bombing of Pearl Harbor by John F. Wukovits is a book in the World History Series published by Lucent Books. The author, a retired junior high school teacher, knows how to write for younger readers. Wukovits explains the menace facing peace-loving people before the United States entered World War II. Throughout the 1930s, the majority of Americans strongly believed in isolation. They wanted nothing to do with the warfare that Japan, Germany, and Italy were inflicting on their enemies. The book tells how President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked to prepare America for war while appeasing those who opposed him. The book explains why Japan decided to start the war with America and the impact of that choice upon the Japanese people. Photographs provide vivid illustrations of the destruction of the fleet at Pearl Harbor and of airplanes on nearby airfields. Wukovits builds his agonizing story from both primary and secondary sources. He concludes by discussing the effort required following the attack to rebuild the Navy and how the sneak attack changed the attitude of Americans overnight.

World War II in the Pacific by Don Nardo is another book in the World History Series by Lucent Books. The author, having written over 200 books, is recognized as a leader in producing history lessons for younger readers. He contrasts the cultures of the United States and Japan, and delves into the transformation of Japan into a world power. Nardo writes vividly about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Excellent maps enhance the reader’s understanding of how the Japanese pulled off the surprise. He explains the defeat of the Americans in the Philippines, and discusses the horrors of the Bataan Death March. Twenty-two thousand Americans died on the march. My first grade teacher’s husband was one of the few survivors of the Japanese atrocities committed against their prisoners in the Philippines. Nardo appropriately documents the turning point in the Pacific War as the Battle of Midway, when the United States reestablished its supremacy of the seas. The American aircraft carrier USS Yorktown was sunk during that battle. An uncle of mine was one of the survivors of that sinking. Nardo discusses the development of the nuclear bomb and explains why President Harry S. Truman dropped two bombs on Japan. The author concludes by explaining how this horrible event caused the Japanese to surrender.

Kamikazes by Earle Rice, Jr., is a title in Lucent Books’ The American War Library Series. The Japanese high command created the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps late in the war. Rice explains how Emperor Hirohito approved the use of this suicide weapon after determining the war was not going well for his country. Kamikaze means “divine wind” and carries strong religious overtones. The sacrifice of one pilot and one airplane in exchange for sinking one American warship became an acceptable way to die for one’s country. The Japanese Army already had a reputation for seldom surrendering. Japanese soldiers died in banzai charges against the Allied troops confronting them in the Pacific. The author explains how the Japanese warrior had traditionally committed honorable death through seppuku. Disemboweling oneself with a sword, known in the vernacular as hara-kiri, had been the preferred way for warriors to die since the days of the samurai. The book is well illustrated with the destructive actions the Kamikazes inflicted on the American fleet. Today’s younger reader is aware of the suicide bombings committed by radical Islamic terrorists. This book confirms that such a way of attacking an enemy is not new.

Yet another book in the World History Series by Lucent Books is The Making of the Atom Bomb by Victoria Sherrow. The author begins by explaining what led to World War II and how it generated an arms race that resulted in the United States developing the atomic bomb. She provides a section on the science of nuclear physics and the roles played by such famous men as Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi. She writes about the secretive Manhattan Project under the supervision of Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” To test this unproven weapon, the Army detonated the first atomic bomb near Alamogordo, a town in central New Mexico. I had recently completed the second grade in Hobbs, New Mexico, when on that July 16, 1945, morning, the first bomb was exploded at 5:30 AM. Those in my town who were awake at that time described an unusually bright light appearing in the sky 200 miles to the west. Ms. Sherrow covers the planning and execution of dropping the first bomb by the aircrew of the B-29, Enola Gay. She delves at some length into the horrific death and destruction to Japan caused by the event. After a second bomb fell on Japan, the country surrendered, and the war in the Pacific concluded. Ms. Sherrow ends her book with a discussion of what might happen to the world if atomic weapons’ development continues. The concerns she identifies impacted me when I served as an Army officer during the Cold War. In the decades following World War II, the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in me being stationed in Europe when the Berlin Wall was erected. Later, I was stationed on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean as part of the U.S. National Nuclear Test Readiness Program. Since then, several nations have acquired the atomic bomb. The question of further nuclear proliferation is pertinent today because of the ongoing disagreement between the United States and North Korea over their desires to possess nuclear weapons.

World War II—Pacific by Barbara Williams is part of Lerner Publications’ America’s Wars Series. This book summarizes the entirety of World War II in the Pacific. Excellent maps allow the reader to follow the war from the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 through the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The author covers each of the major battles through the intervening years. She provides information on the soldiers and sailors as well as the ships, aircraft, and armaments they used to wage war. A brother-in-law of mine served as a bomber pilot in the battles fought in the South Pacific. Ms. Williams also describes the effort required on the home front to support the war. She includes a short section on the unfortunate Japanese-American internment camps where thousands of men, women, and children were incarcerated in the United States during the conflict. The author writes about the special effort American women provided during the war. Williams’ book includes a timeline of the significant battles and events comprising the Pacific war. Although shorter than the other titles reviewed here, Williams’ book provides the younger reader an easily understood account of the entire war in the Pacific.

Today, December 7, is a good day for middle-grade students to commence or continue their study of World War II. They live in a world created by the results of that mammoth conflict.

TO HOLIDAY or NOT TO HOLIDAY Does making a holiday book limit its relevance? by Eden Unger Bowditch

In The Ravens of Solemano… there is a grand Christmas event. Well, things go a bit wacky, but it is a celebration of a holiday. That said, this is not a Christmas book so the celebration does not stand out or make the book feel ‘out of season’ if it isn’t read in December. Does creating a book around a holiday make it problematic as a reading choice for other times of the year?

For our family, yes and no. We have always had books that are in the winter holiday box, to be read when everyone is cuddling together over hot cocoa. We have books that live in the costume box with other Halloween things and only come out in October. But there are also wonderful, timeless books that may have a special place during Halloween or the winter holidays, but are a pleasure all year round. Chris Van Allsburg’s The Widow’s Broom is one. It is a story that has special meaning during the holidays, but is meaningful anytime, for readers of all ages.

In winter, we read books that take place

in summer. In summer, we read books that take place during the school year. It seems that we don’t discriminate when it comes to seasons Yet, when we feel compelled to write a book that takes place during a holiday, we may encounter resistance from publishers or agents since sales are holiday dependent. Perhaps consider how that book may retain relevance throughout the year and use that in your pitch. As readers, we can consider the same. While it makes sense to gravitate towards holiday-specific books during those holidays, we should consider a ‘Christmas book’ in August or a ‘Halloween book’ whenever we feel spooky!

I’d love to hear from you about books that you love year-round that might be considered specific to a holiday.

- Eden

Great Christmas Books for Middle Grade Readers

  Everyone loves a good Christmas read. Here's a short list of some of the best for middle grade readers.

Jingle Night, the second in The Anderson Chronicles, my series of contemporary novels for middle grade readers. Hector Anderson just can't get in the holiday spirit. He's loaded down with homework, and too broke to buy presents for his family or his heart throb, Sandy. Meanwhile, sister Chloe wants to be the angel of death in the holiday play, a role as silent as younger brother Calvin's been since the loss of his hand puppet, Mr. Buttons. Little brother Stevie can only remember four words from the song he must sing at the Little Leapers Preschool Pageant, but he uses his slingshot to spread Christmas cheer, which Hec's perfectionist Father doesn't appreciate. Hec is determined to solve his problems, and while Mom tries to eggnog and carol everyone into the Christmas spirit, he and his best buddy Eddie embark on a madcap plan to solve Hec's Christmas dilemma.




As if reenacting the game of Clue, The Green Glass House takes place in an old inn that's usually quiet at Christmastime. But this year, it fills with a hodge-podge of quirky guests, all of whom seem to be searching for the answer to a different mystery. Twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, turns into the sleuth who must solve them all. This story is part mystery, part folk tale, and part ghost story, with enough twists and turns to keep even the most finicky reader entertained.

The main character in Richard Peck's A Season of Gifts is twelve year old Bob, the son of a preacher and new kid in town, but the heart of this sequel to the Newbery Award winning A Long Way to Chicago and the Newbery Honor book A Year Down Yonder is the eccentric Mrs. Dowdel, an elderly, grumpy, gun-wielding woman who claims to have no interest in neighboring or in church, but has special gifts to share with both her neighbors and their new church.

 Children of Christmas has six stories by the Newbery Honor winning author Cynthia Rylant that are perfect for reading aloud, if you can control your emotions. Like Hans Christian Andersen's Little Match Girl, these poignant stories of lonely and desperate people are are  guaranteed to make you cry, yet her exquisite writing also conveys the special joy of the season, Stories include one of a lonely man who raises Christmas trees, a stray cat who finds shelter, an elderly widower missing his wife, an Appalachian boy who waits each year for a train bringing gifts, and more.

 From Anna, by Jean Little, begins in Germany in 1933. Anna Solden is the youngest and clumsiest in a large family that treats her like the incompetent baby. After they immigrate to America to escape the worsening political scene, the family discovers that Anna can barely see. A new pair of glasses and a special class for the visually impaired helps her blossom into a proficient and confident child. The climax features a Christmas during the depression that might have been dismal had it not been for the pluck and cheerfulness of the family, and at which Anna comes into her own and proves to her family - and herself - that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

How was Christmas celebrated in 13th century England? Nathaniel Marshall, the son of a knight, spends Chrismas at Glastonbury Abbey in my novel On Fledgling Wings. Nathaniel waits to see if the legend that the animals will speak at midnight is true, wonders if the saints looking down on him from the church friezes are watching him, and gets to serve the roast boar at the Christmas day banquet. But all too soon the peace of the season will pass, and Nathaniel will be embroiled in a battle for power at the manor house.

Real Heroes in #Sports by Elizabeth W. C. Junner

In the category of reluctant reader - surely the bane of every teacher and school librarian - boys usually outnumber girls. How can you coax them into discovering there’s a whole wealth of interesting, not to mention inspiring, information out there in the world of books?

Introducing them to books about real people who came from backgrounds the majority of children can recognise may not complete the transformation from reluctant to eager reader [and more enthusiastic scholar?], but it could be a big step in the right direction.

The brilliant movie ‘Chariots of Fire’, which cleared the decks at the Oscars after its debut in 1981, brought Eric Liddell’s athletic achievements wide recognition. While, of course, the movie focuses on Eric’s famous race at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, it portrays both the athletic greatness and spiritual integrity of the Scottish missionary.

 ‘The Flying Scotsman’ as Eric Henry Liddell was affectionately known, was born in Tiensing, China, where his parents, the Rev. James and Mrs. Liddell, were both missionaries. Eric attended the local elementary school before being sent to join his brother Rob at Eltham College in England. It was here Eric first showed his athletic prowess, particularly his speed on the track. 

While studying for a science degree at Edinburgh University, Eric competed for the university in rugby and on the track.

He was chosen to represent Scotland in both fields; unfortunately, though he was outstanding in each sport, his studies left him no time for both rugby and running. Forced to choose between them, Eric decided on running. His distances were the 220 yards and the 100 yards but he truly excelled at the latter. 

Eric was an automatic choice for the 1924 Paris Olympics; his elation turned to dismay, however, when he learned the 100 yards heats were to be held on a Sunday. In those days many Scots observed Sunday as truly a day of rest. Sunday Dinner would be prepared as far as possible the evening before! Active outside games like football and skipping rope were frowned upon. To run on Sunday was against Eric’s Christian ethics. What could he do?

It was suggested he run the 440 yards, a quarter of a mile. Eric hadn’t trained for this distance, but he had a plan for success. Tension ran high. On the morning of the race, one of the masseuses – from the American team I believe - slipped Eric a folded paper on which he had written an encouraging message and which Eric recognised as the masseuse’s variation on 1 Samuel 2:30: ‘He that honours me, him I will honour’.

Eric’s plan was to sprint the first two hundred yards of the 440 to get as far ahead of the field as possible and then, he is quoted as saying, he left it up to God to keep him fast. He won the gold medal in the 440 handily, and the bronze in the 220.    

The following year Eric returned to missionary work in China where Japanese aggression was making life increasingly dangerous. In 1941, as the Japanese advanced, Eric sent his family to safety in Canada while he remained to work at a poor station with his brother, who was a doctor. They were overworked, lacking much of the medicine, equipment and food they needed to help the desperate Chinese who came day after day seeking help.

In 1943, Eric was interned along with many others when the Japanese invaded the station. Despite the privations, Eric kept up morale; he taught Bible School, taught science to the children in the camp, and organised games. Overworked, exhausted, and undernourished, Eric developed an inoperable brain tumour. His earthly race finished, he died in February, 1945, just five months before the camp was liberated.   

***   

How many Puerto Rican kids or kids of Puerto Rican descent have not heard of the great Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker?

Roberto, born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, was the youngest of seven children. When he was old enough he helped his father, a sugar crops foreman, by loading and unloading trucks. Always interested in baseball, Roberto joined Puerto Rico’s amateur league when he was sixteen years old and played for the Ferdinand Juncos team. In 1952 he signed with the winter team,Cangrejeros de Santuce. This was a franchise of the Puerto Rican

Professional Baseball League. While he was there the Brooklyn Dodgers offered Roberto a contract with one of the team’s Triple A affiliates.

This meant a move to the Montréal Royals farm team for Roberto but he never did play for the Dodgers. When Pittsburgh Pirates scout Clyde Sukeforth saw Clemente, he told the Royals’ manager that the Pirates were going to finish last in the league, therefore had the pick of the rookies, and he was picking Roberto Clemente Walker, no question.

His beginnings in Pittsburgh were not the easiest for Roberto. The winter before his rookie season with the Pirates a drunk driver slammed into his car at an intersection in Puerto Rico and left him with a back injury which forced him to sit out many games while he recovered. Because he was black, and spoke little English, the sports media and some of the team gave him a hard time; announcers kept referring to him as Bob, or Bobby, despite his preferring Roberto.  His response to this was he had been raised never to discriminate against anyone because of their ethnicity. As he proved his worth, Pittsburgh loved Roberto; his number was changed from 13 to 20, the number of letters in his full name.

In 1958 he signed for the U.S. Marine Corps. Under their rigorous training he gained ten pounds and had no back problems. By then Roberto was so invaluable to the Pirates team that State Senator John M. Walker sent a letter to U.S. Senator Hugh Scott requesting his early release from the Marines in 1959. Roberto remained a Marine Reserve until September, 1964. 

His rewards in baseball were many, culminating when he earned the World Series Most Valuable Player trophy, yet far outflanking those are his rewards in how he has lived, in what he has done to help others. He helped financially, never to gain recognition but simply because he could, and wanted to. He cared about children especially; his dream was to build a ‘Sports City’ where young Puerto Ricans would have access to coaching in many sports, facilities, and encouragement. In the off-season he taught baseball and ran free clinics for kids in Puerto Rico, especially those from poorer families. He loved his country and did much to raise the status of Puerto Rico and Latin America in the world’s eyes.

He was involved in a great deal of charity work, and when Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was hit by a massive earthquake on 23^rd December, 1972 he immediately began arranging relief flights. When he heard the aid on the first three flights had been siphoned off by the corrupt officials and never reached the victims he decided to go on the fourth flight himself, in hopes his presence would shame them into honesty. On December 31^st he set off on an overloaded plane with an incompetent crew. It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean immediately after takeoff due to engine failure. Roberto’s body has never been recovered, but his legacy lives on in the selfless work he did during his lifetime.                

***

And now we come to the last of our sports heroes, who was in his own words a really rotten kid, Louis Zamperini. With co-author David Rensin, in his book ‘Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In’ he speaks for those kids who are seen to be seriously off the tracks.

 Born in America of Italian parents who spoke Italian at home, he went to kindergarten in California speaking very little English, and very poorly at that. He hated recess when the other kids would surround him to taunt and jeer, to punch and kick him over his poor English, his wiry hair, and big ears. Eventually his father made him a punch bag, so that Louis learned to fight back – and win.

His older brother Pete was the model son who could do no wrong, and Louis the changeling child who could do no right. He felt he could never live up to Pete, so Louis set out to be as bad as he possibly could be. He was forever getting into trouble with the police, with school, and with his parents. One would think Pete might get fed up with Louis but he never did. He loved his little brother and when all three of the authorities mentioned above were at their wits end, Pete took Louis to the local steel mill, where the workers ‘looked hot, greasy, and dirty’. Louis was aghast. He didn’t want to end up like that, and Pete pointed out that’s exactly where he would end up, unless he smartened up. He warned Louis that no one could force him to turn his life around – he had to want to do that himself.

The school officials decided to give Louis another chance, especially after Pete suggested sports. Too small for football, Louis was entered in an interclass race to run the 660 yards with the promise if he ran, his school slate would be wiped clean. He ran. He came in last, in pain and suffering from having smoked since he was six years old. But the running bug had caught him. He ran, and in running and eventually winning, he found self-respect. He set himself to learn at school, recognizing the importance of education.

Adrift on a raft in the Pacific Ocean for many days before being captured by the Japanese in WWll, Louis endured the brutality of their prison camps. Beaten day after day, he stubbornly refused to give in. When he was finally liberated and returned to America, at first it was great and then it appeared Louis was once again on the slippery slopes. Until his wife persuaded him to hear Billy Graham. Louis finally realised hatred consumes and destroys the person who hates, and accepted Christ in his life.  He worked tirelessly to help young people improve their lives, applying Christ’s teaching of love and tolerance, tough yet encouraging. 

 ***

All pictures are, to the best I can ascertain, in the public domain.