The Afterglow of War: Lessons Learned

Product Description

William Henry faces his teenage years with the fervor of most kids that age, and all the joys, anxieties, and learning that come with them. When the first jet flies over his hometown in Indiana, he and his best friend Peanut are enthralled, a fitting introduction to the many changes their youthful eyes would soon witness in years to come.

The Afterglow of War: Lessons Learned is the final book in a two-book series of short stories which give an accounting of these times. When War Was Heck, the first book, describes William Henry’s view on life during the War. And now he, his family, and his friends—old and new—learn fresh lessons about life after the war. Some are typical experiences familiar to most kids, like driving a car, changing tires on the car, the woes and throes of puppy love, the language of golfing, and secretly sipping on whisky from the kitchen.

But the greatest lesson for William Henry is realizing that opportunities are earned, and once earned, the most appreciated of gifts.

Additional Information

Phil Emmert left a secure job at Dow Chemical Company in 1970 to enroll at Johnson Bible College in Tennessee. After graduation at age 37, he became a full-time minister. Phil continued to preach and was a social worker in the Department of Social Services in North Carolina. He later became a counselor in the county school system in North Carolina. While in this position, at the age of sixty-three, he began to write motivational thoughts for teachers and staff in the school system. He is the father of three sons and a daughter. He has eleven grandchildren.

Phil’s many experiences with young people as a father, grandfather, minister, children’s social worker, and counselor have contributed greatly to his writings. As a counselor, he took a special interest in fourth- and fifth-graders. He observed that many of these children were not fond of history, focusing instead on current adventure books.

Because of this, When War Was Heck was born. Phil began to write about his hometown of Lebanon, Indiana, during the Second World War, from the perspective of a ten-year-old boy. The characters are real, although the names may be changed and the events out of sequence. He adds the imaginations of a child to this story as well.

Phil Emmert combines easy reading with history, and seasons the story with homespun bits of humor and nostalgia in When War Was Heck. Phil hopes you’ve enjoyed these adventures including Peanut, Mary Anne, and Buck the border collie . . . and the events that influenced Phil’s life as a young child.