Deann Kruempel

Promises Under Fire Deann Kruempel

The folds of her sweater muffled her sobs, but her whole body shuddered with agony. The girls pulled chairs in and sat, holding their mother close, wondering what dreadful event had occurred. At last, the woman lifted her head. She drew in a deep breath and looked at her daughters with red, swollen eyes.

She shook her head slowly, her shoulders slumped in devastation. "Now, there is war." She paused for a few seconds, then her features again contorted in pain. "And I have four boys!" With a heart-wrenching wail, her face fell back to her arms.

While World War II raged across the ocean, crucial battles were fought on the Home Front. Could they really help win the war? When it was over, would promises endure?