An Incredible Odyssey

About the Book

This is a schoolteacher’s tale of why she accepted a position with the Department of Defense Dependents' Schools after retiring from the state of North Carolina and why she especially desired to teach in West Germany.

About the Author

The sole purpose of the author for accepting a position with the Department of Defense Dependents' Schools in Germany was to fulfill the dream of her deceased husband, Robert, a World War II veteran who served in the European theatre. Having witnessed the horrendous destruction caused by that war, several times he had expressed the desire to return to Germany at some time to see how it had rebuilt. Sadly, his life had been cut short by a massive heart attack. When the author accepted this position, her teenage son, who was just a toddler when his daddy died, could accompany her. This would give him a special gift from his beloved father. The main purpose for writing this book is to pay tribute to the children of the military, known as the military brats, who lived a nomadic lifestyle, following their military parents from base to base all over the world. They lived within two cultures simultaneously, taking advantage of the interesting opportunities available. They are our youngest ambassadors—and so deserving—as they write their page in history! The author was privileged to work with them. Mary spent three or four years trying to write this book despite periodic bouts with ill health. She finally finished it and was on to her next project, describing her experiences with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, but her final illness caused that effort to stop forever. Unfortunately, she never lived to see her book published, but her sons decided to go ahead with the publication as a memorial to her. Her influence on the hundreds of students that she taught will live on for generations to come.