East Texan’s book filled with father’s stories of service in World War II

Published 10:56 am Monday, January 20, 2020

Tamra McAnally Bolton knew that her father, Stuart McAnally, had served in the Navy in World War II but he rarely talked about it.

“He would mostly talk about being in Japan. That was a good experience for him. But he didn’t talk about the hard stuff,” said the East Texas freelance writer/photographer.

There was a part of her father’s life that she knew very little about.

As her father aged into his 90s, she became concerned that his experiences in the war would be lost forever, so she set out to preserve them.

Over a few years, she recorded 34 interviews with her father during which she asked him about his experiences in the Navy, what life was like during the Great Depression and raising his family in Jacksonville.

From those interviews she wrote “A Blessed Life: One World War II Seabee’s Story.”

McAnally, who grew up near Jacksonville, entered the Navy in 1943 at age 18 and served in the 31st Naval Construction Battalion, which helped clear the beaches following the D-Day Invasion.

He also saw heavy fighting at Iwo Jima and witnessed the raising of an American flag at Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945. A photo of the flag raising became one of the most iconic images of the war.

Bolton said she did extensive research to ensure that the dates and events are accurate and also spoke with others who served with him.

In response to his daughter’s inquiry about what happened in the final months he was stationed on Iwo Jima, he says: “Of course we would have no idea that Japan would surrender, so we were preparing for an invasion … at least that’s what we figured. One of the things I remember after we finally got settled into our housing is we started to get mail from home. It was like a life-line. I read and re-read my first letter. It seemed like a lifetime ago since I’d left home.”

She said one of the things that surprised her the most was how difficult it was for her father to adjust to life after military service.

“He told me, ‘When I came home, I wasn’t anything but unemployed,’” she said. “He felt for a time kind of lost … like he had no purpose.”

Bolton said writing the book helped her understand and cherish her father even more and that it has been a blessing to share the story of a man who remained positive throughout his life.

“When I began the project of recording Dad’s memories and his war time experiences, I was doing it as a way to preserve family memories and make sure his story was not forgotten, but as I continued to work on the project, I began to see it in a new light,” Bolton said.

“With so much negativity and sadness in the world today, I think people are hungry for something good … for the hope that there are still families who love each other and take care of one another … that you can chose a good life even if you have to endure the horrors of war and other terrible things. It’s a celebration of family, values, and sharing,something we desperately need in our uncertain times.”

Bolton said she has been touched by responses from those who have read the book. “They say they feel a real sense of connection (to her father and others who served).”

She said her biggest reward has been the response from her father.

“I was worried about how he would react but he looked at me and said, ‘You did a great job.’ That meant so much to me.”

The interviews she recorded are now part of the permanent archives at The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg.

The book can be ordered on Amazon or from Poverty Ridge Press, 1090 CR 3905 Jacksonville, TX 75766. The cost when ordering from the publisher is $23.04, which includes taxes and shipping and handling.