The story of D. C. Caughran Jr., Mrs. Cordie's son, could be that of
almost any soldier in World War II. He left the comfort of home and
family to become part of one of the defining conflicts of modern
times. The letters he wrote home tell his story from the day he
received his draft notice in the summer of 1942 through battle,
capture, wounding, imprisonment, and his eventual return home for
recuperation and discharge.
Author Rocky R. Miracle, the son-in-law of D. C. Caughran, tells
not only Caughran's story, but at the same time the story of "the
home folks" who anxiously watched for letters from their "soldier
boy" and wrote faithfully of their love and prayers for his safety. This
home-front narrative also stands as an important and deeply personal
record of life in wartime.
Taken prisoner during the German breakout of December 1944
that led to the Battle of the Bulge, D. C. was force-marched past
corpses lining the road into Germany, loaded with other American
prisoners into boxcars, and held in a prison camp during the coldest
European winter of the century. He suffered starvation rations and
hepatitis and was hospitalized after his liberation, though doctors
were doubtful that he would recover. However, with time and care,
he returned to health, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army,
and lived a long, productive life.
This intimate portrait of an American family—at home and at
war—during a time of world upheaval is at once heartwarming,
sobering, and entertaining. Mrs. Cordie's Soldier Son is highly
recommended for readers interested in World War II, the POW
experience, and home-front literature.
_________________________________________________________
ROCKY R. MIRACLE is a business executive and officer in the
U.S. Navy Reserve who now lives in Corpus Christi.
Number Sixteen: Sam Rayburn Series on Rural Life, sponsored by
Texas A&M University–Commerce
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