Five years ago, my friend Regina gave me a mission. “Tell Bud’s story,” she said after handing me a bag of 75-year old letters. “Then we’ll bring him home.”

Bud was her uncle, her mother’s older brother, a man who like millions of others was drafted into the American military as the Allies prepared for the invasion of Europe during World War II.

Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville was the son of sharecroppers and he lived in poverty in Vincennes, Indiana in a tiny home hard by the railroad tracks. As a boy, he was caught stealing food and coal, which landed him in what was then a home for wayward boys. At the Gibault School, Bud grew up, developed leadership skills, and discovered a love of baseball.

When Bud shipped out he did so as a member of the 606 Graves Registration Service, where he and his fellow soldiers performed probably the most difficult job in the military. Their task? Locate, identify, and bury the dead.

I followed Bud’s trail through the post marks on his letters home, dates and locations that placed Bud at Normandy on D-Day, in the frozen forests of the Battle of the Bulge, with General George Patton in Czechoslovakia, and at numerous other locations throughout Europe. But when the war ended, Bud did not come home. He was buried by his GRS brothers in a cemetery in Épinal, France.

It was Regina’s hope that Bud could be repatriated and laid to rest alongside his family members in Vincennes, but those interred in the graceful American cemeteries that dot the globe must, generally, stay where they are.

So the book that tells Bud’s story and those of the others with whom he served is his homecoming. Your Forgotten Sons shines a light on the mostly ignored work of the men of the Graves Registration Service, those who toiled in the most difficult of circumstances to give the fallen the honor and reverence they deserved.

But there was more. On August 30^th, 2024 a quiet group assembled outside the Indiana Military Museum in Bud’s hometown. Family members, friends, local dignitaries, veterans, and members of the press gathered to honor Bud. A plaque commemorating his service and that of the others in the GRS was laid. There was an honor guard and a 21-gun salute. A bugler played Taps.

And…there was a proclamation.

Proclamation

Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville

Indiana Military Museum

August 30, 2024

WHEREAS, more than 80 years ago Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville—a son of Vincennes—was summoned to serve the United States of America in World War II; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville served with Hodges’s First Army as a member of the 606th Graves Registration Company, action that took him to Normandy on D-Day, through France and on to Luxembourg, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Germany; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville served in one of the most difficult of military capacities, where his job was to locate, identify, and bury the dead, the evidence of which remains with us today in the elegant cemeteries he and his men left behind; and

WHEREAS, we salute and pay tribute to the dedication and bravery of Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville in the face of the heartrending duties he performed;

NOW therefore I, Joe Yochum, Mayor of the city of Vincennes, do hereby proclaim August 30th, 2024, as;

“Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville Day”

in the City of Vincennes. And I urge our residents to observe this day in honor of Bud and his distinguished service to our country.

And so…Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville had finally come home.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

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And now that the flooding has receded and the lights are back on after Tropical Storm Ernesto…

Not too long ago, I posted a blog about the hermit crabs that periodically wander through my home on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin islands. At first, the little guys startled me, especially the one that was almost as big as my fist. But eventually, we got used to them. Now, my sweetie pie and I just pick them up and gently place them back outside.

Then we discovered the crabs were looking for something: crabby real estate. It seems they grow out of their shells and often congregate to switch out, a situation where hopefully everyone crawls away with the perfect place to live, until it’s time again to upsize. Since we live above a rocky beach, Ry and I headed out to gather some shells, which we placed in a corner of the patio, so we periodically get to watch the crabby get-together and find joy when they all wander off in their new digs.

Then something changed. There weren’t enough shells that fit, so we had crabs wandering around looking quite ill at ease in poorly-fitting homes, which prompted us to head back to the beach. But when we got there we discovered that huge swaths of sargassum had swept in. For the uninformed, sargassum is a red seaweed that in moderate amounts is a good thing. It’s a habitat for small fish and tiny sea turtles, is a wonderful fertilizer, and is, so I’ve heard, quite eatable. But with climate change the blooms have become massive, and when they come to shore the piles can become several feet thick, a red blanket that covers everything on the beach, so any suitable shells were impossible to reach.

Then I did what many of us do when we’re in need of something. I went to Amazon. And you wouldn’t believe how many hermit-crab shells were for sale. Great big bags of them. But whenever I went to buy some, I was told they were “currently unavailable.”

In a never-give-up moment, I called what I thought was a local pet store, but instead I reached a women on the mainland who told me tales of all the hermit crabs she’d provided homes for over the years, even explaining how she’d paint dates on their shells so she could recognize them whenever they returned. At first, I was delighted to meet a kindred spirit, but then I realized that perhaps we both sounded a bit deranged.

She explained that while she had no shells, I could call the Virgin Islands Fish & Wildlife people for some help, which I did. The woman who answered the phone paused for a very long time after I explained my predicament.

“I don’t know anything about that!” She sounded as if I might be a danger to myself or others.

“Do you know of anyone else I can ask?” I said sweetly.

“No!”

The next morning, a large crab in a small shell pulled himself slowly across the patio. He was clearly depressed. (Don’t ask me how I knew. I just did.) Now I realize I’m not talking about a basket of kittens here, still I felt for the little guy and the rest of his poorly-housed freinds.

So I went back on line and eventually I found a women who specializes in all things hermit crab. In Tennessee. Amy at the Naples Seashell Company assured me she could ship shells to my little island, but her website encouraged me to measure the shell openings for each crab who required a new home and order an appropriately sized shell for them to move into. Note that some of the shells are the size of a pencil eraser and they get progressively bigger, up to the size of the previously mentioned fist-sized behemouth. While I did grab the tape measure, I realized I had no idea where the crabs live when they’re not sauntering through my home, so I picked out a whole bunch of shells in different sizes—note they range from an eighth of an inch to several inches—and placed my order.

When they arrived, I spilled the shells into a shallow pan, put them in the corner of the patio, and waited for the games to begin. At which point I noticed the depressed crab huddled in the corner. In a matter of seconds, he zeroed in on a shell and—with no quibbling about price or closing costs—hoisted himself into his new home, and then trundled off. I’m guessing he’ll tell the others some new dwellings are on the market.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Loryane, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Nobel

Google Books

Kobo

Universal Buy Link

Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Find Anne Montgomery’s novels wherever you buy books.

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My thanks to reviewer Amy Wilson of Novels Alive for her review of my World War II historical fiction novel Your Forgotten Sons. Find the review here.

YOUR FORGOTTEN SONS

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY

ANNE MONTGOMERY

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Order your copy today

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Universal Book Link

Find Anne Montgomery’s novels wherever you buy books.

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A while back, my sweetie pie was going through a rather tough time. He was still caring for his mother who had dementia. Early one morning she was rushed to the hospital. Though Mary was okay in the end, the stress on Ryan was palpable. A short time later, he got a kidney stone. The doctors sent him home and said, “It’ll pass in a few days.” As soon as the little beast moved on, Ryan got Covid. He’d managed to avoid the bug for years, but when it hit him, he was miserable. Then, his father died unexpectedly. About six weeks later, Ryan managed to get his mom into a nursing facility, a bitter-sweet moment. Mary had been running away and biting the home caregiver, and Ryan didn’t have the medical skills to take care of her anymore. I thought moving her to a home would be a relief, and while it was I sensed a tinge of guilt remained behind.

It was at that point that Ryan started cleaning. As he wanted to sell his house, he began sorting through his mother’s closets and boxes and drawers, an endeavor that took weeks, since Mary was a bit of a hoarder.

According to the Forbes article, “The Mental Health Benefits of a Clean Home,” cleaning is good for your health. “(It) might sound like something your parents may have told you to get you to tidy up your toys as a kid, but turns out, there’s some truth to it. Our environment plays an important role in our mental wellness, and keeping a clean home, whether that’s your bedroom, apartment or house, has a variety of benefits you won’t want to ignore.”

What are the advantages of cleaning? It can provide a sense of order and control, which can give us a better handle on our emotions. Cleaning also releases endorphins, hormones that can tamp down stress and act as a pain reliver. Tidying up can improve our focus, which allows our brains to concentrate on one task at a time. And cleaning can regulate our emotions because it “requires us to slow down, which can offer a calming effect during overwhelming situations…”

So perhaps I should not have been surprised when Ry announced that we should get a new shed. The one in my backyard had been a jumbled mess for years. No matter how many times I marched everyone out to clean up the shed, it would quickly return to an impassable room, random stuff tossed in and piled to the ceiling.

I couldn’t really argue about getting a new shed. A sprawling mesquite tree had grown over the top of the building and was slowly crushing the roof, so the contents were removed. Then, after numerous trips to Goodwill and the dump, the guys from Tough Shed appeared to build us a new one.

Ry loves to work with his hands and I caught him staring from the back door as the men put the new shed together. I couldn’t help but think that he looked like a little kid who wanted to go out and play with the other boys. Then I wondered if building things might also be benificial to one’s health and it turns out it is. According to Psychology Today, working with your hands promotes mindfulness and provides a sense of personal accomplishment, which reduces stress and anxiety.

When the shed was finished, Ryan began organizing the little room, building shelves, and finding perfect spots for the belongings we’d kept. The process is ongoing, but he’s getting there. In the meantime, I think I’ll let him be, since the shed seems to be a man-cave of sorts.

I think he’s earned it, don’t you?

YOUR FORGOTTEN SONS

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY

ANNE MONTGOMERY

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

RELEASE DATE: JUNE 6, 2024

Order your copy today

Universal Buy Link

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Nobel

Google Books

Kobo

Find Anne Montgomery’s novels wherever you buy books.

Goodreads

Amazon