Today is a very special day - it's V-E Day, when the war in Europe ended, and it's the first anniversary of We Gave Our Tomorrows being published! Y'all, this is crazy; in just a year, WGOT has become my best-selling book, I've got international readers, and I've made some amazing connections because of it (both through the research process, and from people finding me on the internet). God is good.

So, to celebrate one amazing year of WGOT, I thought it would be a good time to discuss what the guys did after the war. This may be slightly spoilery for those who haven't read the book, so be warned!

Brendan returned to the girls' prep school where he had been an English and Latin teacher before the war. He married a few years later and had three girls. All his experience as a teacher prepared him for being a girl dad!

Jack had wanted to go to the Pacific, where his brother Jimmy was a pilot, but the war ended before the 4th Infantry could be deployed over there. He went back to civilian life, got married, and became a sports coach at an Oakland high school. It's quite likely that he re-enlisted and fought in the Korean War.

Jake married his pre-war sweetheart, Hazel. They had a daughter named Ruthie.

Jesse went back to work for his uncle as an auto mechanic, eventually taking over the shop once his uncle retired. A few years later, he married a former Red Cross nurse.

Logan went to Bible college through the GI Bill. After graduating, he went back to Europe, where he retraced the route of the 4th Infantry Division - only this time he was helping people rebuild, giving out Bibles, and sometimes preaching. In Saint Émil (the French town they liberated in Chapter 7), he met a young musician named Gabrielle. Eventually they got married and returned to the States, where Logan started a ministry for troubled teenagers in Philadelphia. He and Gabrielle had two kids, named Ricky and Gloria.

Matt, though he enjoyed baseball, didn't pursue it as a career. He became a bus driver in Minneapolis instead.

Parker (side note, for some reason he's the only one I ALWAYS call by his last name - I never think of him as Charles 🤣) came to realize that everything he'd believed was wrong, and he came to faith in Jesus. Unfortunately, his family was not happy about his conversion, and they refused to have anything to do with him. So he turned to the only friend he had left; he moved to Philadelphia, where Logan's family let him stay with them until he found a job and a house. He ended up working as a school principal, and he married Logan's sister Margo. They had one son, named Steven (after Steve of course).

Patrick moved into a little apartment and got a job at a hardware store. He never married, but he got a cat to keep him company. He didn't go back to his wild pre-war days, instead becoming an active member of his church.

Sam moved back in with his family. He tried several jobs, but for one reason or another none of them worked out, and he got fired a lot. Finally he called Jack, who had a friend on the San Francisco police force that was able to get him a steady job. Sam and Jack stayed in contact and became close buddies.

Steve was originally from Richmond, Virginia, but after he came back, he realized that he didn't like the big city - too many people. He moved to a small town out in the country, where he became a police officer and rose in the ranks, eventually becoming the chief of police. The force was highly effective under him.

Tristan went back to the family ranch, just like he'd planned. He continued to draw as a side hobby; he never became famous for it, but that didn't matter to him. Ranching was his interest, and the family land was later passed on to him.

Zachary worked at a lumberyard for a while before finding his dream job at a candy store. He and his wife had a happy family of two boys and a girl.

The squad stayed in touch after the war and frequently held reunions. All the guys from the East Coast (Brendan, Jake, Logan, and Parker) were especially close, and their kids grew up as friends.

You only have two more days (including today) to enter the giveaway!

Be sure to check out our other bloggers and Savannah's blog; I've got a guest post today on her History Redeemed blog!

• L.E. Levens
• Addison Crissone
• Sophia McCrary
• Journey Bloomfield
• Emily Brown
• Katja Labonté
• H.C. Kingsley

Our song of the day is from Vera Lynn this time, and I think it's pretty appropriate for both V-E Day and the theme of post-war life - "When the Lights Go On Again".

Come back tomorrow - our last day - for my recommendations on WWII books, movies, and more! 🫡✌️🪖