Soldier of the Great War: My Fathers Diary of 1918 in WW I in France - Paperback

by Ph. D. Paul a. Hansen (Author)

One hundred years ago, Gerhard Hansen, at age 27, joined thousands of other American boys who sailed in 1918 from New York to France to fight with the American Expeditionary Forces under General Pershing in World War I, the so-called Great War. As a newly minted 1st Lieutenant and machine gun instructor, he fought and saw action in the Ypres, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensives in 1918. In 2016, when author Paul Hansen discovered his father's small leather bound diary of 1918, which documents the intimate story of a young officer facing the challenges of war in a foreign land, he knew this story needed to be told. His father's service to his country provides an inspiring story of perseverance, courage, and commitment, as relevant and valuable today as a century ago. Readers will be moved and inspired.

Author Biography

Author Paul A. Hansen, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and an author with six books published, two non-fiction and four novels, is uniquely positioned to write this expanded memoir based on his father's WW I diary. He provides a rich infusion and insight into the personal life and emotions of the young soldier, going beyond the sparse words recorded in the diary. Paul brings his psychological familiarity of trauma to bear, as well as his personal knowledge of the man he knew as his father. With French as his second language, and having traveled in France, Paul is able to add depth and flavor to the picture of that unique world.