Waiting for Peace: The Journals & Correspondence of a World War II Medic

Richard Berkey was a third year pre-med student at Indiana University when he received a letter from the draft board. He withdrew from college in November 1942 and answered the Armys call. Equipped with more courage and compassion than medical supplies he served as a combat medic with the 14th Armored Division 68th Armored Infantry Battalion in France and Germany. During 1944-1945 he treated casualties in the field lost friends from his unit and hometown was wounded in action and was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His journals reveal a sober and reflective young man while his letters home are filled with humor and tenderness. The voices of Richards family and friends intertwine with his own framing a portrait of an American family during the defining event of the twentieth century.