the jersey brothers by sally mott freeman

She also took up her pen with frequency, writing letters to President Roosevelt and top naval officials, pleading with them to do more. Upon news of his capture, she implored his brothers to use their connections to obtain information about his status and to ensure that those in command kept up efforts to secure the release of those in enemy hands. A forceful presence, it was Helen Cross who pushed for Barton to obtain a position with the Navy Supply Corps upon his graduation from Annapolis, believing that the post would keep him out of harm’s way. While the title of the book calls attention to the brothers, the story is equally about their mother and her own ordeals. The family credited the training he received at Christ School, an Episcopal boarding school in North Carolina, for cultivating his character and the Citadel, the elite military college in South Carolina, for giving him the personal fortitude he needed to endure and the strength he needed to persevere.

He helped tend to those in need and worked to lift sagging spirits. Yet through it all, he kept his wits about him. He watched fellow captives die from malnutrition, untreated illnesses, exposure and horrific conditions in camps and on transport ships. He suffered through forced marches, oppressive heat, meagre rations, cruel punishments and other brutalities. He endured tremendous hardship as a prisoner of war. In 1942 he was put in charge of the White House Map Room, the center of wartime planning, where he earned President Roosevelt’s respect and gratitude.Ĭross endured tremendous hardship as a prisoner of war.īarton may not have risen up the ranks like his brothers, but he matched them in courage and valor. Benny served as an officer aboard the USS Enterprise, a carrier that was spared the attack on Pearl Harbor and went on to play a decisive role in the Pacific campaign, while Bill was tapped for a position with Naval Intelligence. By this point, Barton’s brothers had embarked on promising careers within the Navy. But after earning a degree in business, his opportunity to serve his country came in 1941, when his brother Bill helped him secure a position in the Navy Supply Corps.

Naval Academy, but struggled academically and was forced to withdraw after his second year.

Barton hoped to follow his brothers to the U.S. They kept an eye out for their younger brother when they were growing up, forging a bond through their shared love of the Jersey shore and the call of the sea. The Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freeman

The jersey brothers by sally mott freeman