For Immediate Release
P.S. Kiss the Duchess for Me: Letters from an Unknown Soldier.
ISBN: 1587365839
Experience World War II firsthand in this dramatically told story in the form of letters from an enlisted man to his wife and daughter.
This first person narrative of Army life manages to make interesting what undoubtedly is a common story. His tale is told with a wry, dry, self-deprecating sense of humor, and a sarcastic, yet romantic view of life. Written and edited by free lance writer Joe Rossi, the Duchess in the book’s title refers to Rossi’s mother; and the letters that form the bulk of the book, were written by his namesake and a grandfather he never got the chance to know, Private Joe Moss.
From the first letter where he says “our training consists of 17 weeks of learning how to kill and after only the Good Lord knows what will happen,” to the dispatches from the French countryside where he assures us “I have a comfortable foxhole, no hot and cold running water of course but the best I can get under the circumstances,” you feel as though you’re right there alongside him. The writing is emotionally charged, painfully honest and forthright. “I’ve got the funniest kind of feeling in the pit of my stomach. I suppose it’s due to the fact that I am scared to death. I’ll get over it, I know, but just the same, it sure is an uncomfortable feeling.”
The book’s subtitle is Letters from an Unknown Solider. It’s a twist on the concept of the unknown solider such as the ones that can be found in Tomb of the Unknowns, or sung about in the Doors’ “The Unknown Solider.” Here is a soldier who is virtually unknown, an anonymous white headstone in a V.A. cemetery. For all intents and purposes, they are unknown, even though who they are is no secret to their families. What “P.S. Kiss the Duchess for Me” does so well is introduce us to such an unknown solider, letting us get to know him, thus making him known. It clearly shows us the true cost of war in documenting the inner thoughts and feelings of a single soldier.
It was a good thing we left the station in
This morning also, I had my first look at German war prisoners. They all seemed cheerful and happy. The sergeant told us that most of them never want to go back to their native land and they look forward to
Just started to rain again, although it is quite warm. This is truly a blue Monday. Dreary, rain and a sad horse opera coming in over the radio. We are sitting on our bunks. Some of the men are cleaning their rifles, some are writing letters. Others merely
dozing off. No one seems to be saying much. You can almost see their trains of thought in their faces. Wives, children, and home are uppermost in their minds. It’s getting so close to furlough time that we think of nothing else.
July 7
They put me on this hospital guard and it was my duty to sit in front of the prison ward and allow no one in or out without proper authority. The balance of the wards in my post were the rehabilitation wards and it is the most pitiful sight seeing these young boys walking to and fro with an appearance of total disregard for anyone or anything. Shattered nerves and shattered minds. War is truly "hell."
An interesting if sorrowful sidelight was a young fellow who appeared to be about 24 taking his morning walk. He had to pass in front of me and before he went by me, I noticed that his right hand shook as though he had "St. Vitas." I had a loaded carbine slung on my shoulder and upon confronting me he stopped, became highly agitated and burst into tears. The sight of the rifle unnerved him and I found from his orderly that the fellow was gun shy due the fact that he had shot someone while on guard duty. His mind cracked and now they are trying to rehabilitate him.
Officially being released May 29, Memorial Day, this is Joe Rossi’s first published title. Rossi has written for alternative news weeklies, including the
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