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MWSA Review
A Blessed Life begins as a memoir of a fighting Seabee. It changes course almost imperceptibly, and not merely into a story about fighting to survive on Iwo Jima. Stuart McAnally's journey, as told to his daughter, zeroes in on the claustrophobic vulnerability of war. Except for the patch of ground one fights for and clears, the Seabee has no idea how life is going outside his foxhole. Not that it would matter, as Tamra McAnally Bolton's biography of her father makes abundantly clear. Seabees, Marines, and Navy frogmen converged on the Japanese island in the South Pacific Theater. Before playing their parts in World War II, the buildup to the final act is interlaced with adventures of danger, fear and, quite often, questionable decision-making.
A memoir resulting from 34 recorded interviews and six years of work by the author, it is head and shoulders above being a love letter for a war veteran's service to his country. It shares with the reader so many of the moments that illuminate our own mortality, such as boarding a ship in California and watching the coastline fade away as transport across the ocean gets under way. There are more than a few memories that are downright hilarious, such as a buddy with a reputation for helping himself to boats and cars that didn't belong to him, during a time when people were more likely to leave their vehicles unattended with the keys in them than they are today.
Like the war memoir itself, there's no quest for forgiveness or attempt to make sense of the madness. It's a straightforward telling of what happened and who did what. A Blessed Life is crafted in a way that left the impression the author has a great respect for its subject and the reader. In addition to describing the war experience, it chronicles many of the interview sessions that went into creating the book. When Stuart McAnally comes home and one begins to wonder what became of his life, the reader comes to realize the author has been telling that story all the while.
Review by W. Joseph O'Connell (February 2020)
Author's Synopsis
A Blessed Life - One World War II Seabee's story is the true account of Stuart McAnally, a 96 year-old veteran. McAnally tells the little known history of his C Company, 31st Construction Battalion, and their heroic acts during the early days of the Battle of Iwo Jima. It also describes his journey from a peaceful farming community through combat training, the battle, and ultimately serving with the Occupational Forces in Japan. Told by his daughter, the veteran's stories are woven into conversations between the generations along with the sharing of his childhood days during the Great Depression. This first-hand account gives you an up-close look at the day-to-day experiences of the Greatest Generation, both in war-time and peace.
ISBN/ASIN: 9781734344547, BO82DLR4WR
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Number of Pages: 210