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Lucky Stars and Gold Bars: A World War II Odyssey by Karen Sladek, Lyle Sladek WWII Letters

A heartwarming family saga set at the time America emerged from the Great Depression and into the throes of World War II�told through a soldier�s 400 letters to his parents and siblings back home on the farm in South Dakota as he circled the globe by land, sea, and air. A South Dakota farm boy has no inkling his destiny is tied to Japan�s conquest of China and Hitler�s rampage in Europe. Just three months into college, his world is turned upside down by the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Agonizing over his military service options, he is lured by travel and adventure and joins the Army Air Corps. Favored by lucky stars and spurred by burning ambition, he emerges from Yale Technical Training Command sporting the gold bars of a second lieutenant. While serving as a Cryptographic Security and Intelligence Officer in the China-Burma-India (CBI), European (ETO), and Mediterranean (MTO) theaters of war, he observes profound socioeconomic changes occurring in Asia and Europe. Posting some 400 letters home from five continents, he unwittingly captures the dreams and sacrifices of his family and brings the historical events of an epic era to life. Lucky Stars and Gold Bars sheds insight into the seldom told noncombat side of World War II experienced by four out of five GIs. This intimate, coming-of-age narrative transports the reader back to a pivotal time in world history, personalizing the common experiences of many Americans. The historical trove of letters, photographs, and documents�all within the context of the times�challenges the popular conceptions and dramatizations set forth by pop-historians and movie screenwriters.

Lucky Stars and Gold Bars by Karen Sladek, Lyle Sladek World War II (WWII) letters, China-Burma-India (CBI), Cryptography, The Hump, Army Air Forces

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