A Young Man on the Front Line: Lessons of War

A Young Man on the Front Line: Lessons of War is a true story of a young man on the front line of war. The story chronicles his experience of becoming a soldier, enduring his soldiering days, and reconciling his life in the aftermath of his war experiences. As a reader, you become a fellow traveler with Chris Makas on his journey of war, trauma, adaptation, and self-acceptance while contemplating "lessons of war" - all within the historic realities of World War II.

He was only 18 years old, leading five men on far-away battlefields where he witnessed the death and destruction of World War II.

U.S. Army Sergeant Chris Makas braved bloody battles, frigid winters, and gut-wrenching trauma, to help lead the Allies into victory.

A Young Man on the Front Line: Lessons of War is a true story of a young man surviving combat in France and Germany. The story chronicles his experience of becoming a soldier, enduring his soldiering days, and reconciling his life in the aftermath of his war experiences. As a reader, you become a fellow traveler with Chris Makas on his journey of war, trauma, adaptation, and self-acceptance while contemplating "lessons of war"-all within the historic realities of World War II.

This powerfully written memoir is a touching tribute from a daughter for her father. After growing up hearing his stories of war, survival, and appreciation of peacetime civilian and family life, Elaine I. Makas, Ph.D., penned this heartfelt and poignant account of her father's life through his eyes. She masterfully captures his voice and perspective through the excitement, then terrible disillusionment, of going to World War II at age 18. This book is a beautiful tribute to daughters and fathers, veterans, world history, and family love.

READ AN EXCERPT:

"Our orders were clear, "Take the high ground." Simple. Take the high ground.  The advantage is always to the persons on the high ground.  We attacked.  We were beaten back. We attacked again. We were beaten back.  We attacked again - same result. 

We looked at our Captain.  "They're too strong Captain. We can't take the ground."

For which the Captain replied the words forever opening all our eyes to war, "We keep trying until none of us are left standing." That was the moment. We awoke to war.  The moment we became soldiers. The next time we attacked we made sure to take our objective.

...later, I realized the internal damage of the day. At the age of 20, I was both a hero and a killer."

Elaine Makas Ph.D. enjoyed a career in education that spanned more than 40 years and included being a University of Michigan-Flint professor, a public school teacher, an administrator, and a consultant for failing schools in the areas of curriculum and accreditation through her company Curriculum Connections, LLC. Dr. Makas earned degrees from Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Saginaw Valley State Universities. She obtained her doctorate in educational leadership from Oakland University. Dr. Makas wrote A Young Man on the Front Line: Lessons of War from her late father's perspective by compiling the stories he told while she was growing up, along with his battlefield journal entries that chronicled both the tragic and amusing stories of his World War II experience. He fought on the front line of the Southern Invasion of Germany in 1944 as part of Company B, 255th Regiment, 1st Battalion, 63rd Infantry Division. After helping to liberate Germany and the concentration camp at Landsberg from the Nazis, he returned to Detroit in 1946 to marry and raise three children. She authored two educational books: From Mandate to Achievement (Corwin, 2010) and Career Pathways: Preparing Students for Life co-authored with Pam Ill (Corwin, 2004). Elaine is very proud of her four sons, Mark (Rochelle), Benjamin, Jacob, and Samuel, and her three grandchildren, Sarah, Ethan, and Joshua. She enjoys life with Fred List and engaging in writing, oil painting, nature, horseback riding, and traveling. "I wrote this book to pay tribute to my dad's life and story," says Dr. Makas, who lives in Frankenmuth, Michigan. "I think young people, millennials, and Baby Boomers alike will enjoy becoming fellow travelers with my father on his journey of war, trauma, adaptation, and self-acceptance while contemplating universal lessons of war." Writing his story during her battle with cancer strengthened her to endure grueling treatments that resulted in remission. Dr. Makas hopes that middle and high school social studies and English teachers will use the book to help young people understand how World War II helped shape our world today.

Elizabeth Ann Atkins is Co-Creator of Two Sisters Writing & Publishing, an Emmy Award nominated TV show host, a journalist, book coach, inspirational speaker, certified meditation teacher, a fitness enthusiast, and author of 33 books. Elizabeth has a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan. She loves to help people cultivate their book ideas into a published format to share with readers everywhere! Her memoir-God's Answer Is Know: Lessons From a Spiritual Life-chronicles her life story and shares her spiritual awakening, along with tools anyone can use to deepen their connection to the Divine and live a more joyous, healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and influential life. Elizabeth co-hosts the Emmy Award nominated MI Healthy Mind, a weekly TV show that aims to shatter stigmas around mental illness and addiction. All episodes are at MIHealthyMind.com The Oprah Winfrey Show featured Elizabeth as a guest to celebrate her 100-pound weight loss and lifestyle as a health and fitness enthusiast. Elizabeth and her sister Catherine M. Greenspan co-created Two Sisters Writing & Publishing, which: publishes their books; provides ghostwriting, publishing, and book coaching services; and hosts monthly writing contests and the Two Sisters Writing Club; and showcases their blog, A Tale of Two Sisters. They are launching the Two Sisters Writing & Publishing Virtual Speakers Agency in Fall of 2020 to enable their speakers to share messages of Diversity & Inclusion and other Inspiration to audiences around the world. The Two Sisters also teach people how to unleash their power through meditation and a writing technique Elizabeth invented and trademarked called PowerJournal that they created and share in workbooks. Elizabeth and Catherine have written and published dozens of books, and including their mother's book, The Triumph of Rosemary: A Memoir, by Judge Marylin E. Atkins. Elizabeth has a master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan. She studied French at Collège de Rivière-du-Loupe in Québec, Canada. Elizabeth is an inspiring speaker who recites her autobiographical poem, White Chocolate, and has spoken at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, GM's World Diversity Day, Gannett, DaimlerChrysler, 100 Black Men of America, the NAACP, Beaumont Hospital, PowerNetworking, Comerica Bank, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the American Library Association. She has taught writing at Wayne State University, Oakland University, Wayne County Community College District, and at national conferences. As an actress, Elizabeth plays a major role in the feature-length film Anything Is Possible, nominated for "Best Foreign Film" by the Nollywood and African Film Critics Association. She composed an original screenplay, Redemption, a gritty drama about a Detroit gangster and a writer. And Elizabeth plays a 1950s journalist in the international shipwreck drama, The Andrea Doria: Are The Passengers Saved? A former Fox 2 Detroit News writer, she has been a guest on Montel, NPR, Good Morning America Sunday, The CBS Evening News, several BET programs, and other national TV shows. After writing her master's thesis about mixed-race Americans, her work appeared in The New York Times. Her articles have also been published in The San Diego Tribune, Essence, Ebony, HOUR Detroit, HOUR Home, HOUR Bride, BET.com, Ms., BLAC Detroit, and The Detroit News, where her articles on race were nominated for The Pulitzer Prize. She also wrote a biography for the Presidential Medal of Freedom tribute for Rosa Parks.