War on the Porch
A Doughboy's Interview

In 1968, a local reporter was writing a story for one of Arkansas's newspapers about the upcoming 50th anniversary of the end of World War I. The reporter, Gordon Grover, set out to interview local veterans, including Patrick King, a veteran who had been blinded during the war by an artillery attack. Initially, Patrick hesitated to speak with the reporter and participate in the interview until he learned that Gordon was a World War II veteran and that his father had fought and died in World War I. With his wife, Pauline, by his side, Patrick shares his story, which turns into a journey of healing. In 1968, a local reporter was writing a story for one of Arkansas's newspapers about the upcoming 50th anniversary of the end of World War I. The reporter, Gordon Grover, set out to interview local veterans, including Patrick King, a veteran who had been blinded during the war by an artillery attack. Initially, Patrick hesitated to speak with the reporter and participate in the interview until he learned that Gordon was a World War II veteran and that his father had fought and died in World War I. With his wife, Pauline, by his side, Patrick shares his story, which becomes a journey of healing. The narrative he shares describes how a patrol of ordinary soldiers, against all odds, achieved the extraordinary by carrying out a nearly impossible mission behind German lines in northern France in July 1918, just as the Second Battle of the Marne was about to begin. It is an incredible tale of heroism, bravery, leadership, selflessness, and perseverance that has never been told because General Pershing advised Patrick in the summer of 1918 not to share it with anyone, as no one would believe him. He stayed committed to keeping it to himself until that fateful summer of 1968.