Telling an Epic Story –“We Had a Job to Do, and We Did It”
When I began writing Rails of War more than twenty years ago, I had in mind that I would chronicle the story for the men who served, their families, and mine. Commercial publishing was not on my radar. But, as I dug deeper into the details of the 721st Railway Operating Battalion, I realized that the story is epic. Epic, in the sense that it has a hero compelled to an involuntary journey full of challenges, tests, and danger, who then returns to fulfillment and the sanctity of home.
Of course, there were many heroes in Rails of War besides my father, James Hantzis, but narratively speaking, the story holds water.
But, here’s the thing. To the men who served, most saw their grand adventure as a simpler plot. Almost to a man, they summed up their service this way, “We had a job to do, and we did it.” This, of course, is the understatement of true heroes. . – SJH
