The Star in the Window is a unique collection of memoirs from World War II veterans who lived in Waterville and Central New York. For several years, Louis C. Langone personally interviewed and listened to over 100 men and women telling their wartime stories from bombing missions over Europe to the "island-hopping" campaigns of the Pacific, to the suffering of prisoners of war. The stories are supplemented with material from books, periodicals, the World Wide Web, press releases, unit histories, and letters providing an interesting mix of memories and World War II facts. Several community honor rolls are also included. Most of the veterans documented are from a rural area, and grew up during the Depression, possessing a strong work ethic. They are representative of those who answer the "call of duty" with a mission to defend our nation's ideals and freedom.
This book will preserve genuine World War II memories, teach the reader about WWII, and improve awareness of the hardships endured and sacrifices made by these brave veterans of the Central New York area. It provides an opportunity to experience WWII history through the eyes and ears of veterans from various military branches of service revealing shocking and obscure incidents of the War.
The author is a graduate of Syracuse University with a Master of Arts degree in social studies education and has taught high school history for 30 years. As a Navy veteran of the Korean War, he served as a yeoman in the Panama Canal Zone and Newfoundland, and also served as a crew member aboard the attack transport USS GLYNN (APA-239). Recalled into the Navy for almost five months during the Persian Gulf Conflict, he retired from the Naval Reserve in January of 1991.