G.I. Joe & Lillie: Remembering a Life of Love and Loyalty

What can I say, besides inspirational, feel good story. This book made me laugh, it also made me cry. I couldn't put it down, I had to read it straight through. I normally read thriller novels and detective stories. They are they only genre that hold my interest. This book is the exception, I totally enjoyed it. Thank you Joe Bonsall for such a great story! PS love the Oaks!

There is no greater love than when a child honors his parents, and in G.I. Joe & Lillie, Oak Ridge Boys tenor Joseph S. Bonsall pays a beautiful tribute to his parents Joe and Lillie Bonsall with a beautifully written memoir as a testament of their true love for each other.G.I. Joe and Lillie's love story begins when they are called to duty in World War II. Joe was a street kid from Philly and Lillie was a farmer's daughter from Roanoke Rapids, NC. Both had a difficult childhood and left high school in the 9th grade, and both had a desire to help the war effort in the best way that they could. Joe & Lillie's journey began in May 1943, when at the age of eighteen, Joe enlisted in the Army, while Lillie left home in 1943 at the age of sixteen and worked in a defense plant in Michigan before joining the Women's Army Corps. (WAC) at the age of seventeen in August 1944. These two young people met, fell in love, married, and served their nation in the armed forces. They had a special marriage that spanned fifty-five years, one that was based on love, faith, loyalty, commitment, and dedication to each other, no matter what trials and tribulations that they faced through the years.Since his childhood, Author Joe Bonsall has been fascinated with the idiosyncrasies of war, so in addition to sharing G.I. Joe and Lillie's story with the reader, he interweaves a richly descriptive and historical account of World War II, with photos interspersed throughout the book.G.I. Joe & Lillie is an inspirational and compelling memoir that documents the lives of two American heroes, their love, and the memories that will remain forever in the author and his family's heart. You can't help but feel the patriotism and pride that runs throughout the story, and feel the enduring love and deep family values that kept G.I Joe & Lillie's marriage going throughout the years. This lovely memoir will make the reader pause and consider what our military personnel go through as they serve overseas, and the serious trauma and other effects (PTSD) that they face when they come home, and how their families provide the love, support, and perseverance to help them get through it with dignity, honor, and grace.G.I. Joe & Lillie is an emotional memoir that will tug at the heartstrings and stir the soul.

When it is dark and stormy, nothing is more comforting than to be cocooned in a homemade quilt. A tapestry rich in tradition and assembled with love, a kaleidoscope of patterns and colors, it is an American art form. Wrapped in its warm embrace, its fabric surrounds us and soothes our spirits. By extension, the spirit of America is a tapestry woven by the stories of its people. Each person; each man, woman and child, has a chance to mold this nation. Some become distinguished men and women and make monumental contributions to government, the arts, and business. Others become scourges of society. Most will fall somewhere in between, neither famous nor infamous. But they build lives and legacies for themselves and for the generations that follow them. They are ordinary people who sometimes do extraordinary things. They face adversity and challenges and find a way to overcome them. Their faith in God is the cornerstone of their existence. They raise their children to be honest and to reach for the stars. They are far from perfect, but they do the best they can with what they have been given. And they love each other, no matter what. They are the threads that form the fabrics that produce the patterns of our national tapestry. GI Joe and Lillie are two of those threads. They represent, even in their imperfections, all that is good and right about our country; faith, honor, strength, values, and dreams. Their story, so eloquently chronicled, mirrors many of our own narratives. The details may be different, the patterns and colors may not be the same, but the fabric of their lives, the values that brought them through the rough times, are universal to most of us. And in today's times, when it is dark and stormy, and we need to feel protected, or even just encouraged, we need only wrap ourselves tightly in the legacy they helped create. Their "quilt" warms the heart, and yes, soothes the spirit, for it is rich in tradition and assembled with love. You will laugh and you will cry, but mostly you will be inspired and grateful for this story.

Loved everything about Joe and growing up in his family!

I bought this book several years ago and just now got around to reading it. I regret waiting so long, because it's a wonderful book. I had tears in my eyes many times while reading it. The author is a member of the Oak Ridge Boys, and his parents are the characters in the book. G.I. Joe grew up poor in Philadelphia and signed up to fight in WWII. Lillie grew up poor in South Carolina and ran away from home at 16 to sign up for the Women's Army Corps(she fudged her age on her birth certificate). These two served their country bravely during the war, and met after G.I. Joe was wounded in battle. It was love at first sight for both of them, and for the rest of their lives they loved each other and raised a family. They are both buried in Arlington National Cemetery, as is fitting.As our Greatest Generation is dying off, we hear stories once in a while of people like G.I Joe and Lillie, who gave unselfishly, worked hard, did without and never asked for recognition. Many of them suffered injuries and mental problems from what they experienced during the war, and all of them were children of the Great Depression. My own grandparents lived this life, and I miss them every day.Be sure to read this feel-good book and see what true love really is.