About This Tender Man – My Father’s Story by Rich Nelson
“My father nearly died of malaria in the jungles of World War II New Guinea.” Thus begins This Tender Man – My Father’s Story, the journey of an ordinary man thrown into war and forever affected by its cruel aftermath. It is a story of a Midwestern boy lovingly raised by Swedish immigrants, an adolescent coming of age during the early years of the Great Depression, a young adult whose innocence is shattered by war in the tropics of the South Pacific. It tells the tale of a man selflessly committed to family and community in his post-war years, though haunted by the demons that followed him home, and, in his final years, a hellish descent into Alzheimer’s. My father carried throughout his life the characteristics of the “Greatest Generation” – service, hard work, and humility.
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Author Bio:
I am a retired college instructor and social worker. My first book – With Fresh Eyes – is a collection of essays taken from my columns with the Norton Lakeshore Examiner newspaper, serving West Michigan. I have contributed essays to the “Damfinos” (The Buster Keaton International Fan Club) online magazine and the American Humanist Association. I dabble in photography, kayak Michigan rivers, and am involved in various community and environmental organizations. Favorite travel destinations include New York, Paris, and Venice. Along the way, I have backpacked the Grand Canyon, run the Chicago and New York City marathons, and snorkeled and parasailed on Maui. I reside in Muskegon Michigan, along the shores of Lake Michigan, where you will find me on the beach on most summer afternoons.