On April 23; 1943; the seventy-man crew of the USS Grenadier scrambled to save their submarine—and themselves—after a Japanese aerial torpedo sent it crashing to the ocean floor. Miraculously; the men were able to bring the sub back to the surface; only to be captured by the Japanese.No Ordinary Joes tells the harrowing story of four of the Grenadier’s crew: Bob Palmer of Medford; Oregon; Chuck Vervalin of Dundee; New York; Tim McCoy of Dallas; Texas; and Gordy Cox of Yakima; Washington. All were enlistees from families that struggled through the Great Depression. The lure of service and duty to country were not their primary motivations—they were more compelled by the promise of a job that provided “three hots and a cot†and a steady paycheck. On the day they were captured; all four were still teenagers.Together; the men faced unimaginable brutality at the hands of their captors in a prisoner of war camp. With no training in how to respond in the face of relentless interrogations and with less than a cup of rice per day for sustenance; each man created his own strategy for survival. When the liberation finally came; all four anticipated a triumphant homecoming to waiting families; loved ones; and wives; but instead were forced to find a new kind of strength as they struggled to resume their lives in a world that had given them up for dead; and with the aftershocks of an experience that haunted and colored the rest of their days. Author Larry Colton brings the lives of these four “ordinary†heroes into brilliant focus. Theirs is a story of tragedy and courage; romance and war; loss and endurance; failure and redemption. With a scope both panoramic and disarmingly intimate; No Ordinary Joes is a powerful look at the atrocities of war; the reality of its aftermath; and the restorative power of love.From the Hardcover edition.
#71445 in Books 2013-06-11 2013-06-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.01 x .89 x 5.19l; .65 #File Name: 0307590658336 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. ExcellentBy A. CustomerI read Assisi Underground; which was where I first heard of Gino Bartoli. I wanted to know his story. So I read Road To Valor. The book is superbly written. You know the outcome before you start reading it; and yet the book has you at the edge of your seat. It gives such excellent description of Italy at the time; economically and politically. And Bartoli; what a portrayal! I would recommend this for anyone who has an interest in bike racing; Italy; or WWII.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Man of HonorBy Thomas H. KunichGeno Bartoli before WW II was winning everything in sight. But it wasn't his time because WW II started right as he was peaking. The stinking Fascist government of Italy with Mussolini in charge and then the invasion of the NAZI's put the Italians of honor on the spot. And they responded with honor. After Italy was freed by the Allied invasion and eventually Hitler was defeated things eventually settled down to normal. But this was a decade after Bartoli's peak and so he fought on the race courses of Europe tooth and nail with Fausto Coppi. Whenever you read of remembrances of Fausto you should remember the more important things that Bartoli accomplished that are outlined here.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Hero on Two WheelsBy William Capodanno"Road to Valor" is an inspirational tale of Italian cycling legend Gino Bartali. From a small town upbringing outside of Florence to his unlikely rise as Tour de France champion in 1938; Bartali's legend is not about his victories against other riders but for his underground contributions during WWII to save lives.As WWII raged on in Europe; Bartali's best years of cycling competition were wiped away. However; instead of capturing the imagination of the public with his exploits in bike races; Bartali rode to save lives. With a plan concocted by a Roman Catholic priest; he began transporting forged documents in his bike frame between Florence and Assisi. These papers became new identities for Italian Jews; their papers for survival rather than transport to to concentration camps outside of Italy. Bartali protected those around him through these years; not disclosing his frequent absences from home to even his wife as anything more than training.By the time WWII was over and cycling competitions began anew; Bartali's best days were behind him. However; his performance in 1948 is truly astounding. As Italy teeters on the brink of civil war; Bartali shocks his fellow racers with an epic ride through the Alps in what unimaginable weather conditions. By the time he is done conquering the mountains; he wins his second Tour de France in staggering fashion. To this day he holds the distinction for longest gap between Tour victories. In today's age of diet; conditioning and nutrition; Bartali's chain-smoking; red wine drinking will undoubtedly leave modern athletes shaking their heads a bit in disbelief --- I certainly wondered how he survived to even win the 1948 Tour.Bartali remained reticent to discuss anything he did in WWII and it is a remarkable bunch of research the McConnon's do to uncover the emotional heart and soul of this story. I'm grateful for their devotion to this man and his story. The world is quite lucky to know Gino Bartali beyond just a cycling record.
