Lawrence J. Hickey, author and historian
"Many Americans misunderstand the young men who fought in WWII. Contrary to popular myth, these men were not fighting machines - they were young, scared, and, in the end, incredibly mortal figures whose humanity proved the defining characteristic of their greatness.
René Armstrong's book displays this humanity in full force. Her preservation and contextualization of J.R. Jones's letters intimately reveal the mind of a young citizen-soldier who was far from home and those he loved. Her contribution to the historical record is one that will be valued for generations."
René Armstrong's book displays this humanity in full force. Her preservation and contextualization of J.R. Jones's letters intimately reveal the mind of a young citizen-soldier who was far from home and those he loved. Her contribution to the historical record is one that will be valued for generations."
Jay A. Stout, aviator, author and historian
"This is a very well-constructed story of two young people desperately in love during one of the nation's most desperate tests. The defining strength of René Palmer Armstrong's work is that she resists the temptation to impose personal perspective or modern sensibilities on the love story that is told through the letters of James "J.R." Jones. Instead, she sets context and provides information where required, but otherwise lets the reader get to know the young couple during the year Jones spent flying combat against a Japanese enemy that was cruel, cunning and merciless.
Love story aside, the book is interesting because it provides a contemporaneous look at what was important to young people of that generation--music, movies, books and family. Too, one gets a better understanding of the daily lives of men at war. Jones's letters validate the cliché that war is largely periods of interminable boredom interspersed with brief episodes of pure terror.
In short, the book is a "two-fer." An engaging and personal love story, and a reference work that provides societal, cultural and historical insight into a generation that has nearly passed."
"This is a very well-constructed story of two young people desperately in love during one of the nation's most desperate tests. The defining strength of René Palmer Armstrong's work is that she resists the temptation to impose personal perspective or modern sensibilities on the love story that is told through the letters of James "J.R." Jones. Instead, she sets context and provides information where required, but otherwise lets the reader get to know the young couple during the year Jones spent flying combat against a Japanese enemy that was cruel, cunning and merciless.
Love story aside, the book is interesting because it provides a contemporaneous look at what was important to young people of that generation--music, movies, books and family. Too, one gets a better understanding of the daily lives of men at war. Jones's letters validate the cliché that war is largely periods of interminable boredom interspersed with brief episodes of pure terror.
In short, the book is a "two-fer." An engaging and personal love story, and a reference work that provides societal, cultural and historical insight into a generation that has nearly passed."
James Bina, second generation, President -
345th Bombardment Group Association.
"Wings and a Ring gives a fascinating and rare account of what life was like during wartime operations. It gave me a greater depth of understanding and feel for the challenges that J.R., my dad, and thousands of others went through on a daily basis. I encourage succeeding generations to take interest in works like Wings and a Ring as it brings a very personal and human element to the daily grind of wartime operations, and that these men, including J.R., were determined to succeed regardless of the cost. Most importantly it shows that life didn't stop because of the war, but rather life went on in spite of the war."
Glenn McDuffie, forensically verified Kissing Sailor: V-J Day, August 14, 1945, Times Square, New York City, New York
“Reading Wings and a Ring brought back many memories of when I was in the service. I especially enjoyed hearing about the popular music of the time and remember waiting to dock at the next port to collect mail and records sent from home. The mission descriptions really complete the story. I would have liked to have kissed that girl!”
Glenn and René Armstrong, the author, at the annual Centex CAF Hangar Dance, San Marcos, Texas, November 2010.
Merlene Lovelace, author and retired military col.
“In this riveting tale of love amid war, René Palmer Armstrong takes us back to a time when Americans fought on distant shores and dreamed of the wives, husbands, and sweethearts they left behind. We witness WWII first-person through an extraordinary collection of letters written by Army Air Corps Lt. James Richard Jones to his fiancée, Elnora Bartlett. Supplemented by Ms. Armstrong's meticulous research, Wings and a Ring will renew your faith in the human spirit and the extraordinary, enduring power of love.”
READER REVIEWS:
Deb K. - Congratulations on such a wonderful book. I purchased your book at the Virginia Beach Airshow in 2012 and am sorry it took me so long to finally sit down to read it. It is a wonderful book that immediately draws the reader into the lives of both JR and Elnora. My husband and I are both reenactors/living historians and I think this is a book that has tremendous value to anyone looking to recreate the World War 2 experience. So many books regarding the time period are memoirs of war time experiences. While those are wonderful and provide much needed “primary source documentation”, your book does something that most aren’t able to provide. We hear from JR at the time he is experiencing the war- not a memoir written years after the fact.
I would highly recommend this book to people within the reenacting community. For anyone looking to recreate that time period his experiences are ripe with information: his yearning to be home again, his simple enjoyment of a Coke, even the music he enjoys listening to and the difficulty of finding needles for the record player! We literally find ourselves seeing the war in the Pacific in a very personal way as JR writes to Elnora while simultaneously we see the record of the mission he flew that same day.
What an absolute treasure that your husband stumbled on that box of old letters and that in those letters you saw a lovely story about World War 2 and the people who lived during that time period waiting to be written and published. Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing JR and Elnora’s story.
******
JoAnn B. - Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I finished the book and loved it! I cried, laughed and loved every minute of it. What I loved most is that it portrayed real-life-moments, sensitive feelings, and a beautiful and devoted love with "HOPE" as its strength.
******
Robert T. Bush, author of A Sailor on Horseback - When people today think about the air war in the Pacific during WWII, they remember the Japanese Kamikazes, Jimmie Doolittle's Tokyo raid and perhaps President G.W.H. Bush's missions from an aircraft carrier. Rene Armstrong takes us to the airstrips of New Guinea with an unsung hero, U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. James Richard Jones, or J.R.
******
In the book, the censored letters are interspersed with official AAF action reports. Together, they give a riveting account of the lives lived in humid jungle outposts under the stress of war and those of loved ones at home. This is the real thing, not a glamorized version from a Hollywood script. The black and white photographs include aircraft, airmen and the two principal characters from their teens through their lives together.
We need to be reminded of the sacrifices made in our wars by young, and some not so young, men and women. This book does that.
******
Barbara D - I was out of town last week visiting my family, and I took your book along to read in my "quiet time." To say the very least, I loved it. The declassified info helped me fill in the blanks on what were probably very harrowing and trauma ridden events for this young man. J.R.'s letters also made me think about my Dad, who was traversing the South Pacific in ships and submarines during WWII. My Dad, like yours, never talked about these events in detail. Occasionally we would hear about the "funny" ceremonies of crossing the equator, but never any serious talk about the hardships and horrors of war. My niece is now researching information about my Dad's service, and I look forward to the conclusion of this
search.
Thank you for writing this story. I intend to pass this book along to my sisters. My Dad's memory also lives in the "unspoken words" of this book.
I look forward to your next book.
******
Priscilla B. - I bought your book at the Artoberfest in Galveston, Texas this past fall.....and thank you for signing it for me.
We were on our way to St. Thomas on January 1st and I started it on the flight over. I honestly enjoyed it so much that I sat on the beach the first couple of days and finished it. I have an uncle that is 91 and was in Anzio during WWII and always enjoy his stories. My dad, who passed away in 1981, was in the Pacific. Reading your book made me want to delve into his story. (Whether I ever will go to the extent that you did, remains to be seen.) Thank you for such an interesting story.
******
Jerilyn J. - Mrs. Armstrong, I am in the process of reading your new book Wings and a Ring which I received from my daughter and son-in law at Christmas. They even had you autograph the book to me. I wanted you to know how much I am enjoying your book. I began by reading the Journey of Discovery and found it most interesting for all the work and research you did in tying in actual facts of WW II with the lives of J. R. Jones and Elnora Bartlett. Thank you for bringing to print the life, struggles and loves of the Greatest Generation through these two people. I will certainly be recommending it to all my friends and will be giving some as gifts in the future.
Now, I must return to reading, but just wanted you to know how much I am enjoying your book.
Jerilyn J. - I have had several distractions since I last wrote you and was just able to finish Wings and a
Ring yesterday. You did a wonderful job in telling of JR and Elnora’s story documented with pictures and actual military data. Thank you for being inspired to tackle this project and for bringing to life some of the personal feelings that our fighting men have to endure.
As to why I began at the back of the book instead of jumping into the first chapter, after reading The Dedication, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents and Forward, they inspired me to learn the hows and whys of the author and her writings. Thus, I began with Journey of Discovery, as I had never seen nor read a book of letters before.
Again, thank you for a most enjoyable reading. I wish you the best in your sales.
******
Judy H. - Hi Rene.... I just want you to know that you are the reason that I have gotten absolutely nothing done this afternoon and tonight...I cannot put your book down! I love it and your talent is unbelievable. I wish you much, much success with your wonderful book and I will keep my fingers crossed that someone will be smart enough to give it serious thought for a screenplay! Can't wait to finish it!
Judy H. - I finished the book and loved every minute of it and felt like I knew them all the way through
it.
******
Joyce T. - I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book - it was a special love story. My father was in the Navy in the Pacific but he never spoke about the war and now he's passed away. My mother talked about the loneliness and trying to make ends meet with 2 little girls. My own husband was in the Navy during the cold war and served 2 tours in the Persian Gulf and was recalled during the Berlin crisis. We were married at the time and "snail mail" was our only outlet to communicate. I wrote most every day and can understand how letters from home were so important - our letters were slightly more heated tho. I had to birth my children alone and care for them for several months before he could return but that made me stronger each time. The last child he shared the entire pregnancy and birth which delighted me. Thank you for sharing this story. I know the couples' children can now know the deep love their parents had for each other.
******
Kelly M. - When I first started reading the book, I wasn't really sure it was my type of book. I enjoy WWII history but the letters between a pilot and his girl gave me pause [male reader]. I was soon caught up in the story and found that I was thinking about it most of the time, wondering how everything turned out. I found myself reading just to find out what happened next. I appreciated the official logs intersperced to put the letters in context.
******
JESSE F. - What a fascinating love story entangled in the perils of the Pacific front of WWII! I just loved how the pieces of the puzzle came together. This story will make you believe in fate or some power that bonded their love. Congratulations Rene' because you have helped to preserve a piece of history in such a beautiful and skillful manner. I loved the story and I encourage people to thank the men and women who serve our country and honor those that gave theirs lives to preserve our freedom. I am proud to say: "that author that wrote this story is a dear friend of mine".
******
CINDY S. - I loved how you tied in the actual logs of events with the letters from JR. I also appreciated that you very minimally interjected with explanation when the actual book was in flow (letters/logs). I enjoyed the "happily ever after" and knowing that happened with them.
This is a time in US History that should be remembered and respected. Your book is a wonderfully painted portrait of what life was like. I've even take to locating a few books JR mentions so that I can read them!
I only hope you fulfill your promise to put some pictures of the Hi-Hat and all the other places mentioned. The Swamp is now a storage facility. What a hoot.
All the best to you, Rene'. I look forward to your next story.
******
Deb K. - Congratulations on such a wonderful book. I purchased your book at the Virginia Beach Airshow in 2012 and am sorry it took me so long to finally sit down to read it. It is a wonderful book that immediately draws the reader into the lives of both JR and Elnora. My husband and I are both reenactors/living historians and I think this is a book that has tremendous value to anyone looking to recreate the World War 2 experience. So many books regarding the time period are memoirs of war time experiences. While those are wonderful and provide much needed “primary source documentation”, your book does something that most aren’t able to provide. We hear from JR at the time he is experiencing the war- not a memoir written years after the fact.
I would highly recommend this book to people within the reenacting community. For anyone looking to recreate that time period his experiences are ripe with information: his yearning to be home again, his simple enjoyment of a Coke, even the music he enjoys listening to and the difficulty of finding needles for the record player! We literally find ourselves seeing the war in the Pacific in a very personal way as JR writes to Elnora while simultaneously we see the record of the mission he flew that same day.
What an absolute treasure that your husband stumbled on that box of old letters and that in those letters you saw a lovely story about World War 2 and the people who lived during that time period waiting to be written and published. Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing JR and Elnora’s story.
******
JoAnn B. - Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I finished the book and loved it! I cried, laughed and loved every minute of it. What I loved most is that it portrayed real-life-moments, sensitive feelings, and a beautiful and devoted love with "HOPE" as its strength.
******
Robert T. Bush, author of A Sailor on Horseback - When people today think about the air war in the Pacific during WWII, they remember the Japanese Kamikazes, Jimmie Doolittle's Tokyo raid and perhaps President G.W.H. Bush's missions from an aircraft carrier. Rene Armstrong takes us to the airstrips of New Guinea with an unsung hero, U.S. Army Air Force 1st Lt. James Richard Jones, or J.R.
******
In the book, the censored letters are interspersed with official AAF action reports. Together, they give a riveting account of the lives lived in humid jungle outposts under the stress of war and those of loved ones at home. This is the real thing, not a glamorized version from a Hollywood script. The black and white photographs include aircraft, airmen and the two principal characters from their teens through their lives together.
We need to be reminded of the sacrifices made in our wars by young, and some not so young, men and women. This book does that.
******
Barbara D - I was out of town last week visiting my family, and I took your book along to read in my "quiet time." To say the very least, I loved it. The declassified info helped me fill in the blanks on what were probably very harrowing and trauma ridden events for this young man. J.R.'s letters also made me think about my Dad, who was traversing the South Pacific in ships and submarines during WWII. My Dad, like yours, never talked about these events in detail. Occasionally we would hear about the "funny" ceremonies of crossing the equator, but never any serious talk about the hardships and horrors of war. My niece is now researching information about my Dad's service, and I look forward to the conclusion of this
search.
Thank you for writing this story. I intend to pass this book along to my sisters. My Dad's memory also lives in the "unspoken words" of this book.
I look forward to your next book.
******
Priscilla B. - I bought your book at the Artoberfest in Galveston, Texas this past fall.....and thank you for signing it for me.
We were on our way to St. Thomas on January 1st and I started it on the flight over. I honestly enjoyed it so much that I sat on the beach the first couple of days and finished it. I have an uncle that is 91 and was in Anzio during WWII and always enjoy his stories. My dad, who passed away in 1981, was in the Pacific. Reading your book made me want to delve into his story. (Whether I ever will go to the extent that you did, remains to be seen.) Thank you for such an interesting story.
******
Jerilyn J. - Mrs. Armstrong, I am in the process of reading your new book Wings and a Ring which I received from my daughter and son-in law at Christmas. They even had you autograph the book to me. I wanted you to know how much I am enjoying your book. I began by reading the Journey of Discovery and found it most interesting for all the work and research you did in tying in actual facts of WW II with the lives of J. R. Jones and Elnora Bartlett. Thank you for bringing to print the life, struggles and loves of the Greatest Generation through these two people. I will certainly be recommending it to all my friends and will be giving some as gifts in the future.
Now, I must return to reading, but just wanted you to know how much I am enjoying your book.
Jerilyn J. - I have had several distractions since I last wrote you and was just able to finish Wings and a
Ring yesterday. You did a wonderful job in telling of JR and Elnora’s story documented with pictures and actual military data. Thank you for being inspired to tackle this project and for bringing to life some of the personal feelings that our fighting men have to endure.
As to why I began at the back of the book instead of jumping into the first chapter, after reading The Dedication, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents and Forward, they inspired me to learn the hows and whys of the author and her writings. Thus, I began with Journey of Discovery, as I had never seen nor read a book of letters before.
Again, thank you for a most enjoyable reading. I wish you the best in your sales.
******
Judy H. - Hi Rene.... I just want you to know that you are the reason that I have gotten absolutely nothing done this afternoon and tonight...I cannot put your book down! I love it and your talent is unbelievable. I wish you much, much success with your wonderful book and I will keep my fingers crossed that someone will be smart enough to give it serious thought for a screenplay! Can't wait to finish it!
Judy H. - I finished the book and loved every minute of it and felt like I knew them all the way through
it.
******
Joyce T. - I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book - it was a special love story. My father was in the Navy in the Pacific but he never spoke about the war and now he's passed away. My mother talked about the loneliness and trying to make ends meet with 2 little girls. My own husband was in the Navy during the cold war and served 2 tours in the Persian Gulf and was recalled during the Berlin crisis. We were married at the time and "snail mail" was our only outlet to communicate. I wrote most every day and can understand how letters from home were so important - our letters were slightly more heated tho. I had to birth my children alone and care for them for several months before he could return but that made me stronger each time. The last child he shared the entire pregnancy and birth which delighted me. Thank you for sharing this story. I know the couples' children can now know the deep love their parents had for each other.
******
Kelly M. - When I first started reading the book, I wasn't really sure it was my type of book. I enjoy WWII history but the letters between a pilot and his girl gave me pause [male reader]. I was soon caught up in the story and found that I was thinking about it most of the time, wondering how everything turned out. I found myself reading just to find out what happened next. I appreciated the official logs intersperced to put the letters in context.
******
JESSE F. - What a fascinating love story entangled in the perils of the Pacific front of WWII! I just loved how the pieces of the puzzle came together. This story will make you believe in fate or some power that bonded their love. Congratulations Rene' because you have helped to preserve a piece of history in such a beautiful and skillful manner. I loved the story and I encourage people to thank the men and women who serve our country and honor those that gave theirs lives to preserve our freedom. I am proud to say: "that author that wrote this story is a dear friend of mine".
******
CINDY S. - I loved how you tied in the actual logs of events with the letters from JR. I also appreciated that you very minimally interjected with explanation when the actual book was in flow (letters/logs). I enjoyed the "happily ever after" and knowing that happened with them.
This is a time in US History that should be remembered and respected. Your book is a wonderfully painted portrait of what life was like. I've even take to locating a few books JR mentions so that I can read them!
I only hope you fulfill your promise to put some pictures of the Hi-Hat and all the other places mentioned. The Swamp is now a storage facility. What a hoot.
All the best to you, Rene'. I look forward to your next story.
******
©2020 – WINGSANDARING.COM René Palmer Armstrong