Finding My Father's Footsteps
A Journey within the Battlefields of WWII
'
Karen Sisson Marshall, author
Utah Beach Landing Museum, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France
When a stranger accuses her father of lying about how he acquired the first volume of Nazi mastermind Heinrich Himmler’s personal copy of Mein Kampf during World War II, a daughter embarks on a journey to learn the truth. Armed with a war journal her father never shared with his family and her training in historical research, the author returns to the battlefields of Europe. Can she uncover one man’s actions at the end of a war that involved millions of people? She reconsiders her past as a youthful anti-Vietnam War protester while she traces the movements of her father’s 4th Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment from D-Day to V-E Day. Her answer lies within the personal stories and reflections of the soldiers and civilians forever impacted by the deadly conflict. What emerges is a chronicle of the 22nd Infantry Regiment during WWII within a memoir of family and personal growth, bound together by the human face of war.
Mark Bowden, journalist and author of Black Hawk Down, says: “Karen Marshall has written an engaging story of her dogged effort to sort out how her father came to possess a rare relic of the Nazi era, Heinrich Himmler's personal copy of Mein Kampf. The mystery is part of a larger story: a daughter's search for her father's hidden World War 2 service, and whether what he told her about it was true.”
Lieutenant John Sisson was home on a 30-day leave with two Purple Hearts in January 1945 when he recorded his combat experiences. His narrative is shared for the first time since its discovery after his death in 1991.
Himmler’s Mein Kampf, Volumes I and II, is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, located in New York City.
Mark Bowden, journalist and author of Black Hawk Down, says: “Karen Marshall has written an engaging story of her dogged effort to sort out how her father came to possess a rare relic of the Nazi era, Heinrich Himmler's personal copy of Mein Kampf. The mystery is part of a larger story: a daughter's search for her father's hidden World War 2 service, and whether what he told her about it was true.”
Lieutenant John Sisson was home on a 30-day leave with two Purple Hearts in January 1945 when he recorded his combat experiences. His narrative is shared for the first time since its discovery after his death in 1991.
Himmler’s Mein Kampf, Volumes I and II, is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, located in New York City.
I began this book to try to understand my father's silence about war.
I finished the book to honor that silence.
I finished the book to honor that silence.
Also available on Amazon/Kindle.
About the Author
Karen Sisson Marshall lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she worked in historic preservation planning for more than twenty years. One of her proudest accomplishments was the extensive documentation of the Battle of Brandywine (1777) for the American Battlefield Protection Program. Retired, she enjoys sailing with her husband, attending her daughter’s choral performances, entertaining her family, and developing projects related to “the stories of the past and how they inform our lives today.” She holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a certificate in Historic Preservation.
Karen Sisson Marshall lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she worked in historic preservation planning for more than twenty years. One of her proudest accomplishments was the extensive documentation of the Battle of Brandywine (1777) for the American Battlefield Protection Program. Retired, she enjoys sailing with her husband, attending her daughter’s choral performances, entertaining her family, and developing projects related to “the stories of the past and how they inform our lives today.” She holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a certificate in Historic Preservation.
About the Illustrator
Ann Bedrick lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the sturdy stone house her ancestors built and has dedicated the past thirty years to illustrating our historic landscape that is so well preserved. The idea of illustrating the story told by the men of the 22nd Infantry Regiment and their colleagues fighting through Europe through a series of maps came from work we did together to identify colonial roads American and Crown Force soldiers utilized during the Philadelphia Campaign in 1777. Her illustrations helped bring the 1944-45 built and natural landscape features to life and provided a context for the soldier’s story.
Ann Bedrick lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the sturdy stone house her ancestors built and has dedicated the past thirty years to illustrating our historic landscape that is so well preserved. The idea of illustrating the story told by the men of the 22nd Infantry Regiment and their colleagues fighting through Europe through a series of maps came from work we did together to identify colonial roads American and Crown Force soldiers utilized during the Philadelphia Campaign in 1777. Her illustrations helped bring the 1944-45 built and natural landscape features to life and provided a context for the soldier’s story.
Recent author talks
Copyright 2024
Karen Sisson Marshall, author
All rights reserved.
Karen Sisson Marshall, author
All rights reserved.