The Summers County Historical Society will release its newest book, World War II in Summers County in a brief ceremony Saturday, March 25 at 1:00 p.m. at the McCreery Hotel in Hinton. The public is invited. Speaking at the event will be Keith Lilly, a member of the History Department at Concord University. He will give insight on the impact of the war on ordinary citizens in the county at that time. Over 2000 WWII veterans from Summers County are listed in the book, out of a total of 3000 men aged 18-45 who lived in the county in 1940.
But the book is not just about the veterans. There are also accounts of Rosie the Riveters and ordinary citizens who endured the separations of loved ones, rationings, shortages, the recycling of everything from cooking fats to milkweed pods, and the heartache of terse telegrams beginning with the words, “I am sorry to inform you that…”
World War II in Summers County is a 700+ page document containing over 1000 photos and hundreds of stories submitted by people about their fathers, brothers, and husbands who served or who themselves lived in the county during the war. With this book, those memories will not be forgotten.
Books will sell for $50 and be available for purchase at the event. They may also be purchased at the Explore Summers County Visitors Center at the corner of Temple and 2nd Avenue in Hinton during regular hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Mail orders may be sent to PO Box 295, Hinton, WV 25951. Please add $7 for postage and include your mailing label for shipping.
