As Memorial Day is celebrated across the county, the KGOU Readers Club highlights the book Rare Encounter, a war novel based on the true story of John William Hall. The farm boy from Oklahoma would go on to play a pivotal role during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. His unlikely friendship with fellow army captain Roger Shinn frames the fascinating tale.
Part one focuses on the early life of John William Hall in rural southeast Oklahoma. His upbringing would shape the war hero he would eventually become.
In Part two, the discussion turns to the experiences of Hall and Shinn during their time battling the Nazis toward the end of World War II.
In part three of the discussion, the author talks about what happened to the characters in the book following the war, and how the lessons Hall and Shinn learned informed students during the Vietnam war era.
