Quarantine Corner - 3 Books To Inspire Us All Through Tough Times

As the corona virus continues to wage its biological war and the real danger of the pandemic begins to hit home with stories of friends and neighbors falling victim to a disease that once felt so foreign, it’s important to remember the makeup of what makes Americans who we are. We have gone through times like this in the past and we have always come out stronger for it in the end. Now my saying that is not meant and should not be perceived as overzealous patriotism or a dismissal of those who are suffering - quite the opposite. Right now there are hundreds of thousands of Americans experiencing real unimaginable pain, both physical and emotional. In response, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans stepping up to the plate, putting themselves in jeopardy to lessen that pain and fight the invisible enemy the best that they can. The nurses, the EMT workers, other first responders - this is the American story. It is just who we are, it is just the way that we do things here.

Below I’ve listed three books that tell of times where the world has faced even greater hardship than what we face today, and introduce you to people who were able to stand tall in the face of fear and in the face of death.

"Some people are what the times demand... and life without them seems impossible. But life is possible. They made it possible."

It is important to remember stories like this. It is important to always keep the American Fighting Spirit in the back of our minds, because although times our though, they have been tougher, and we will always prevail.

Brothers In Battle - Best Of Friends

An amazing story of friendship and courage, Brothers In Battle tells the story of Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron, South Philly natives and paratroopers who served in the 101st Airborne during the Second World War. Both of these men were made famous by the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, but the book goes into some amazing stories that the series couldn’t capture, starting with both mens’ humble beginnings in depression era South Philadelphia, all the way to D-Day, through the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Europe form the Nazis. It is brave, it is lough out loud funny, and it is sad - a perfect story of the courage of ordinary young men who, without questions, answered the call and sacrificed their limbs and their youth for the betterment of humanity.

All The Gallant Men - An American Sailor’s Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor

Donald Stratton was a young sailor on the USS Arizona on the morning of December 7th 1941. Out of the 1,117 of his Arizona shipmates killed that day (including 23 sets of brothers), Donald Stratton miraculously survived. He was able to do so through pure determination, a little bit of luck, and whole lot of help from a fellow sailor named Joseph George. This is a harrowing account of pain and the struggle for survival during one of the worst days in American history - a description can not do it justice, and it can not be missed.

The Immortal Irishman - The Irish Revolutionary Who Became An American Hero

The Immortal Irishman is another hidden gem of a book. Published in 2016, it tells the story of Thomas Francis Meagher, the man who formed and lead the Irish Brigade during the Civil War, a battalion of more than 150,000 Irish immigrants who proved themselves as one of the most ferocious fighting units in the Union Army. Prior to becoming one of Lincoln’s most favored leaders, Meagher was a freedom fighter in Ireland, banished to Australia after a failed uprising attempt to overthrow the British crown. After a daring escape to America, T.F finds himself amidst another prejudicial state, one that disfavored the Irish and where slavery was still a booming commodity. He chose to fight against both, hoping that the valor his Brigade would display on the battlefield would not only defeat the evil of slavery, but bring favor to the Irish in America and their many contributions. The Irish Brigade found themselves at the center of some of the most critical battles of the Civil War, playing a pinnacle part in shaping America as it is today.

- J.H