Love in an Altered State

Book excerpt: LOVE IN AN ALTERED STATE, encompasses many aspects of the life and times of a seemingly ordinary man and his contribution to posterity. The story begins with the fact that "Bill" has suffered a debilitating cerebral stroke. The time line begins approximately 60 years after the end of World War II, in which Bill served as a paratrooper. Because of his poor health he now appears older than his 86 years. To his very young great-grandchildren he is seen as an old man in a wheelchair. The ignorance of youth has masked the fact that he was once youthful and that he led a remarkable life full of achievement. Much of his life was molded by his heritage and the turbulence of the early 1940s, the preceding Great Depression, and World War II. It is a story of humble beginnings in a Western Pennsylvania coal patch town. It is a tale of hard work, love and separation, duty, honor, and patriotism. The story describes his early home life and family and how he had to quit school to work in the mines to help the family through tough economic times. The book tells the story of his loving wife "Flo" and their courtship and early years. It is a story that exemplifies the power of love. It details the feeling of separation they endured during Bill's nearly three years of military service. Bill's military service is chronicled through the archives of the 11th Airborne Division and other military histories. The actions of the 11th Airborne are interspersed with Flo's life on the home front. From humble beginnings, to a young husband and father in harm's way, to a returning veteran trying to achieve the American Dream, to a life time of community service and achievement in business, Bill has now arrived at his life in an altered state.