Honor and
Innocence: Against the Tides of War, a historical romance novel by Glen
Hierlmeier, was released March 2014. This book takes the reader through the
devastation left by World War II across the European and Asian continents
following its main character Hank Fischer, who was drafted to the American Army
in 1945 shortly after his high school graduation.
During his service,
Hank befriends a German prisoner-of-war, Max, who tells Hank of his twin
sister, Roberta, also in captivity. An unlikely romance buds between her and
Hank, leaving Hank conflicted between his allegiance to the American Army and
his love for Roberta. Hank decides to break out Max and Roberta, and together
they make a desperate flight through war-torn Germany where they witness
first-hand the destruction post-war Europe has endured. Leaving Max behind in
Switzerland, they make their way to the port city of Trieste, where they board
a ship and depart to the seas, dealing with pirates, facing adversity, making
new friends, and desperately seeking a safe refuge in a place where their love
can flourish.
Follow Hank and
Roberta on their intense and captivating journey from country to country as
they seek refuge. Read as they make their way through bombed-out cities, giving
a rare glimpse into the tragic consequences of war, as they remain
together bound by love.
*5 years ago: what
were you doing? Five years ago I was
winding up a 46 year career as a banker and a real estate developer, and
dreaming of become a writer in the final chapter of my life. I had wanted to write seriously for many
years, going all the way back to high school, and I did write for
pleasure. I knew If I did not commit to
writing I would feel I let myself down.
I have always been very creative and felt that part of me was not full
realized.
*Do you have a
certain writing ritual? Yes, several.
Once I come up with an idea for a story, I call it a “golden nugget”, I think a
lot about how I might present the “nugget”.
Until I have the story-line clearly in my head, I don’t write anything
except catchy phrases or specific details I don’t want to forget, so I end up
with a slew of notes, many coming in the middle of the night. During this thinking stage I will use my
iPhone to access the internet as much as 20 times a day and night to stimulate
my thinking about various ideas for the book.
For example, I am in the “writing the next book in my head” stage with a
story set in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1914 at the onset of WWI. I needed to know what conflicts were rising
at the time in order to know how to create the opening scene for the book. Usually, when I do that, one thing leads to
another and to another and another.
One thing I would
add: I have a large collection of collectible ink pens. I always write the first few chapters with a
special pen from the collection. For a
moment I feel like Dostoevsky dipping his pen in ink. There is just something
about having an excellent writing instrument in my hand and a clean sheet of
paper. After a while I use the computer,
but any time I find myself struggling, I go to the pen! I remind myself of how Liberace would fluff
the tails of his tuxedo coat and wave his hands before he began to play.
*What has been the
toughest criticism given to you as an author?
The toughest thing has been to draw serious critique out of people. I invite tough comments, but it has been
difficult to do that with my group of critical readers. I want to grow as a writer and I know it is necessary
to have the critical review to get better.
Early on, I would say that my wife, and principal editor, Dr. RuthAnn
Hierlmeier, has been my toughest critic as well as my greatest supporter. She has told me more than once that if I
write too deeply about esoteric subjects that are not popular, no one will want
to read what I have to say. Ouch! She’s right.
I have quite a number
of reviews of Honor & Innocence: Against the Tides of War coming soon, so
perhaps I will get some tough criticism. We’ll see.
*Is there an author
you'd like to meet? You didn’t specify a
living author, so I would choose among Hemingway, Michener, Isaak Dinesen, and
Barry Unsworth, in that order.
Glen graduated from
the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then earned
a Masters of Business Administration at The University of Wisconsin at Madison.
He served in the US Air Force on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory space exploration
program and on the design phase of the development of the F-15 fighter
aircraft. After leaving the Air Force, Glen returned to Wisconsin and became
Vice President of the largest bank in his home state, First Wisconsin National
Bank. In 1979, he moved on to become President and CEO of several real estate
development and management companies. Glen retired in 2009 to devote full time
to his grandchildren and his writing. Glen is the author of Honor and
Innocence, We Had to
Live: We Had No Choice…, and Thoughts
From Yesterday: Moments to Remember.
Chapter 23
…and Forever
There was little rest
for Hank again that night. His heart and
his mind were being pulled in different directions. He had made commitments to Max and Oliver,
then to Captain Stein, and now to Roberta.
He had always been trusted by everyone, a pillar of integrity. Now, he would surely destroy that
reputation. As he tossed and turned, and
scolded himself for getting himself into such a quandary, his thoughts kept
going back to Roberta, warm thoughts full of wonder and excitement. But, as the night progressed, doubts began to
creep into his head.
Hank couldn’t deny
how he felt; he felt fantastic, incredible.
He had met the girl of his dreams---love at first sight. He couldn’t wait to see her again. She was everything he had always imagined she
would be, everything he hoped for in a woman.
Yet, he began to wonder, is this real?
Could it be possible for two people to be in love when they’ve only
known each other for two days? Was he
being foolish? Had the events of the
past five months and his absence from the comforts of home made him vulnerable
in a dangerous way? A frightful pang of
fear shot through his gut as he thought: Is she just using me? Does she see me
as her way out of confinement? Am I being fooled by her? Maybe she doesn’t care
about me at all; she only needs me to get what she really wants. Why should I trust her? I don’t really know her. Oh, what a fool I must be to fall for the
first beautiful woman who shows an interest in me, who caresses me. Am I that vulnerable? Am I that foolish?
Thoughts of Roberta
dazzled and confused him; nothing in his young life had ever left him so unsure
of himself. No amount of concentration
overcame the cascade of emotions flooding his chest. He tossed and turned long into the night,
soaked his pillow through with his sweat, though he wasn’t warm, and felt his
pulse exploding his temples; alternating between visions of pure, romantic love
and sheer foolishness. The pull on his
heart skidded back and forth like a tug of war.
That is…until he recalled his mother’s words, spoken on his eighteenth
birthday, just after a high school sweetheart informed him that another man had
won her heart.
Hank, you are such a
precious son. I adore you. I am sad when you are sad, but you must know
this pain you feel will pass. Sometimes
love is fleeting, it may disappear as quickly as it appears. You have your whole life ahead of you. I know you will meet the woman who will love
you completely, and for your lifetime. I
have no doubt. Love between a man and a
woman cannot be easily defined; love comes in many forms and is never the same
for everyone. Almost always love charges
into your life like a cosmic experience, even magical, it is so difficult to
predict or understand. Sometimes that
special feeling in your heart really is true love---sometimes not. When love comes suddenly, we can be swept off
our feet. It’s a dazzling experience
that confuses us. That’s often called
love at first sight, but it’s never really love at first sight. If it happens to you, don’t take it for
granted, it’s very special and you won’t want to lose it. It’s one of the best feelings you will ever
have, and I believe the best beginning for true love.
Don’t be deceived,
true love has to be built; it takes a lot of hard work and may take a very long
time. When two people stop working on
their love, it fades, no matter if it’s the first month, the first year, the
tenth or the twenty-fifth. There will
always be difficulties and complications, that’s how life is, not just
marriage. Use those difficulties to work
on making your marriage stronger. Don’t
expect not to have challenges, welcome them and be ready to take them on
together. Everything really worthwhile
in your life will require hard work.
Your marriage is the one very most worthwhile jewel you will ever have.
Laying silently in
the darkness, eyes wide open, thinking warm thoughts of his mother, a smile
came across his face. Of course, he
thought, mother is right. I have to work
on it. Tomorrow I’ll have to find out if
Roberta truly feels the same way about me.
Sleep finally came.
He should have been
exhausted the next morning, with little sleep and tormented the whole night
through with all his mixed emotions, but his adrenalin had taken over. Hank needed to get things resolved, and
though he wasn’t sure how to do that, he needed to attack his demons head
on. By the time he met with Oliver and
Max in the evening he wanted to have his life back on track. Since he was drafted there had not been a
dull day in Hank’s life. He never knew
quite what to expect, and that day would be no different. It would begin with his report to Captain
Stein.
Hank was surprised to
see the Captain waiting for him. Stein
motioned Hank to his office as soon as Hank appeared in the doorway. Hank’s curiosity was aroused.
“Hank, we have to
release everyone except the SS Officers.
The staff and family are being released as soon as possible. We’ll have 30 days to hold the officers and
unless we can get enough evidence they participated in war crimes we’ll have to
release them too! Something about the
Geneva Convention says we can’t hold them unless we have sufficient evidence to
take them to trial. It’s foolish as far
as I’m concerned. What kind of fair
trial did the millions of dead Jews get?”
Hank was stunned
again. His first emotion was that he was
losing Roberta, but his first thought was that might be best. He had to set his feelings aside and listen
to Stein without revealing his feelings.
“I’m sorry, sir. I know how important this is to you. It really would be a shame if guilty men went
free.”
“Ya, well, there’s
nothing we can do about it but work our butts off to get the evidence we need
to hold the bastards. That’s our job,
and by God, we’re going to make sure every last one of them hangs for what
they’ve done. Did you get anything out
of the girl?”
“I thought I was
really close…I mean…I think she was beginning to trust me. I needed more time; maybe a few more days,
but I’m not sure she knew anything.”
“Come on, Corporal,
of course she knows things. I’ll bet she
knows plenty. We’re losing a good
opportunity by letting them all go. It
makes our job harder.”
“What will we do
now?”
“We’ll get busy
interrogating the officers. The British
have been at it for weeks. They have files
on all of them. The Russians are sending
men to help too, and we’re getting some young Army lawyers by next week. Today, you and I are going out there to go
through files. We’ll make a list of the
ones that look like they were in charge, in some position of leadership, the
higher the better, then we’ll start meeting with them. I want to get the top guys.”
Hank didn’t know what
to think. His emotions all melted
together in a jumble of confusion. All
he could do was follow orders for the moment, until he could sort through all
the feelings bombarding him.
Within a few minutes
he and Stein were on their way to the compound, where they came upon a blur of
activity. Those who were being released
were jubilant as groups of them gathered in the streets to celebrate. There was pitched cheering, yet, others
pushed against the fence separating them from officers, loved ones and former
employers who they would be leaving behind.
There was sadness and tears, as well as questions about what may lay
ahead for each of them, the uncertainty for those who were released to communities
that may not still exist, and for those who remained in custody, facing the
possibility of imprisonment or death.
As Stein and Hank
walked into the officer’s compound, Hank did his best to keep Stein from seeing
him looking among those being released through the fence. In spite of his doubts, his heart told him he
was in love and he was growing desperate about losing Roberta so soon, thinking
she could be gone forever, and wishing he could know for sure if what they had
begun was truly love, or whether he was just a fool. They were moving too quickly for him to see
clearly. He couldn’t find her. They were up the steps and into the meeting
hall, leaving behind any chance he might see her again. He was numb, unaware of anything going on
around him.
“Hank, Hank, come on,
get moving. Pay attention!” Stein gave him a nudge toward the stairway
leading to a room above, where they spent the rest of the morning poring
through files, assessing information that had been gathered by the British,
looking for clues to help them decide which officers they would interrogate
first. Stacks of files were set aside,
awaiting the lawyer’s arrival. Hank
couldn’t focus his attention; all he could think about was that he may be losing
the one person who was right for him, the one he would commit his life to. Convicting German criminals wasn’t important
to him at that moment.
By noon Stein was
satisfied they had enough files to get started.
They were loaded in the back of the truck and about to leave.
“Captain Stein, I’d
like to see if I can find Roberta and make an appeal to her to give us the
information you believe she has. Once
she is gone, it will be lost. I think
it’s worth a try.”
“If you think so,
Hank. There can’t be any harm in
trying. In fact, I like your
attitude. Go ahead, get what you can, and
jump on another truck heading back later.
I’ll see you in the morning. Good
luck.”
Hank felt relieved
that Stein went along with the idea, but he felt a tinge of guilt for taking
advantage of Stein’s trust in him.
Trucks loaded with
released detainees were rolling out the gate as Hank walked over to the
camp. He ran alongside each truck
calling Roberta’s name but got no response.
Others were still loading near a barracks building to the rear. He ran into the building asking each person
he came to about Roberta until an older woman stopped him.
“Yes. Roberta was here. But she has gone.”
Hank’s world came to
a sudden stop. He just stood there as
people pushed past him toward the trucks.
He lost her. She was gone. Maybe she didn’t love him after all. Maybe she just didn’t need him anymore. He really didn’t know what to think. He only knew this was the worst day of his
life.
As he walked back
toward the gate past the office where he had met with Roberta, the guard who
had brought Roberta to the meetings called out to him.
“Corporal! Corporal Fischer! Come quickly.
There is someone who wants to see you.”
Hank wouldn’t allow
himself to believe it could be her. He
hurried into the building and found the front office area empty, but the door
to the room in back was ajar. He slowly
opened the door and there sat Roberta.
She leaped from her chair and into his arms with a scream of delight.
“Oh, Hank, Hank! I knew you would come for me. I knew it in my heart!”
“They told me you had
left. I thought you were gone!”
“I couldn’t go. Where would I go without you now that I have
found you? I love you, Hank, I love
you! I feel like I have loved you since always,
and forever.”
Her arms wrapped
tightly around his neck and her lips found his.
Her words washed away any doubt.
He had never known such elation.
He was in love. It was real. He was sure of it.
“I love you,
Roberta. I love you, too!”
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