One Immigrants Odyssey
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
My Son, the Hero My son, Don and I had some good times together. He was just 10 years old when he asked, “Dad, could we get a small boat and maybe do some fishing on a lake?” That sounded like a nice father/son venture. I agreed an bought a 14-foot wooden boat with a seven-horsepower outboard motor. We went to a beautiful reservoir, Round Valley, near us, which is surrounded by hills. The interesting thing about this spot is that it is very deep, around 900 feet, and a drowned village is at the bottom. It’s said that this reservoir has claimed many lives since it was built in 1954. The weather can change in a moment. Suddenly the calm waters can change to turbulent waves and become very dangerous. As we began our adventure, the waters were calm and Don and I were having a great time fishing for lake trout. Then, suddenly, the wind picked up and the boat began to rock severely. We were both wearing our life vests, but it was time to leave. “We’re heading to shore,” I said, starting the motor. “Dad – look to your right!” Don shouted suddenly, over the noise of a motor. “There’s a boat upside down” Changing our course, I headed toward the boat. We could see two heads bobbing in the waves. As we got closer my ten-year-old son sprang into action. He did his best to pull one of the men into the boat while I tried to steer our boat. The guy was probably in his 60’s. He couldn’t make it into the boat and he wasn’t wearing a life preserver. “Hang onto the side of the boat,” Don told the guy. “We’ll get you to shore.” The other man was hanging onto the other side. Again, we tried to get him into our boat, to no avail, but that effort was fruitless. “Hang on and we’ll head for shore,” I shouted. When we got to shore, I was beaming with pride over my son’s rescue efforts as the men, exhausted and thankful, collapsed on shore. Don was a little shy about it. The two fishermen invited my family for dinner that night at a really nice restaurant and we accepted. Upon hearing our harrowing story, Janet reacted with some concern but Don and I put her at ease.
Select Format
Book Details
About the Book
Many award-winning journalists have written amazing stories about World War 2, but few have told it quite like Harald M. Schmid. His life began in the basement of an apartment house in Berlin on March 4, 1942 with only his mother and her midwife present. Bombs were exploding outside and there was no time to get to a bomb shelter. In spite of the difficulties of war times, his mother managed to keep him fed and protected, often from himself as he took on forbidden challenges like climbing the face of a mountain at age 10. In spite of a loving and happy life in Germany, coming to America was a dream come true. Learning a new language was another challenge. A beautiful young nurse who cared for him when he had pneumonia, became his wife and the story of their life together rivals any love story you’ll ever read. “One Immigrant’s Odyssey” is the unforgettable story of one man’s challenges, successes, love, heartbreak and unstoppable courage over a lifetime. - Arlene Shovald, Ph.D. Author of "Let Your Dreams Be Your Doctor."
About the Author
Harald M. Schmid came to the United States when he was 11 years old. Always an entrepreneur, his life has been filled with achievements. He is grateful to this country for the opportunities it offers to be successful to anyone that has the drive.