Mary Nida Smith’s nonfiction, Submarine
Veterans of World War II has been
acquired by Skyhorse Publishing!
As the wife of a submariner, Mary
Nida Smith lived through many a troubled day. Her husband, Melvin T, Smith, was
one of these honorable men. He is a lifetime member of the U.S. Submarine Veterans
Inc., (Holland Club), a former Vice Commander of the U.S. Submarine Veterans
Base, Mountain Home, Arkansas, former member of the Idaho Spuds-U.S. Submarine
Veterans of WWII and the Northwest Regions/Idaho/Montana/Oregon/Washington.
Through it all, she stuck by him—and
wrote.
Melvin T. Smith Mary Nida Smith
Submarine Veterans of World War II
is about teenage boys who left farms, small towns, and inner cities to defend
the United States and democracy worldwide. Signing up for United States Navy
submarine duty was an adventure of a lifetime during the early 40s. Dreams of
torpedoing Japanese and German ships and subs consumed their thoughts. Gallant
heroes.
Those who returned home as young men were older—wiser.
Contributed by nine men who rode submarines to great
depths and across the oceans into unknown territory, they share their
experiences, fears and thoughts; allowing us to travel back in time through
their memories. Some stories will never be told. Held deep within the secret
confines of their souls, these deep sea veterans block it out for
self-perseverance. Yet, there are others who will never escape their own minds,
they relive it over and over with eyes open or shut.
It was difficult finding veterans of that era who were
able and willing to release their stories. Many have departed this earth, and
those who are still with us now find themselves in their late 80s and 90s.
Trained for years to keep silent, for “loose lips sink ships,” some still
believe what they know to be classified and refuse to disclose even the
minutest of recollections. Others want to leave a legacy of reminiscences for
others to learn and live by—to know that freedom is not free.
Submarine Stories of World War II
was written to honor the men who served and are serving today on submarines.
Smith,
an author, freelance writer, poet and photographer has lived in several states,
submitting and publishing in local magazines and newspapers. Magazines: The Ozarks Mountaineer,
Ozarks, Arkansas Living, Good Old
Days, Polaris (WWII), Grit, Northwest
Living (Field Editor), Storyteller (photograph
cover), Salute, Journal of the Ozarks. Newspapers: Magic Valley Farm Lines
(South Idaho Press-Clark newspapers), Port
Orchard Independent (Washington- weekly column), Ozark Mountain News (Mountain Home, AR), and Oregon Journal
(Portland - book reviews). Newsletters:
U.S. Submarine Veterans of WWII
(Arkansas Diamond Chapter), Society of
Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI- Australia), SCBWI-Missouri, SCBWI-Arkansas, Ozarks Writers League (OWL), and Missouri Writers
Guild. Contributed to the
anthologies: Echoes of the Ozarks and Women in Nature.
Submarine Stories of World War II (First Edition)
was originally published by Red Engine Press, 2008. It was displayed several
months in the Ralph Foster Museum (College of the Ozarks), and in three
military museums: St. Marys’ Submarine Museum, St. Mary’s, Georgia, Wisconsin
Veterans Museum, Madison, Wisconsin, Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, Little
Rock, Arkansas, and cataloged in the Donald W. Reynolds Library Baxter County,
Arkansas. When she created her blog Submarine Stories and Military Writers (2007
–present) http://submarinestories.blogspot.com she linked with The Sub Report at http://thesubreport.blogspot.com where she is
featured on its Submarine Blog Roll.
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 307 West 36th Street,
11th Floor New York, NY www.skyhorsepublishing.com
Mance is a member of Creative Writers & Illustrators - and the Twin Lakes Writers
Cover photograph by Mary Nida Smith