Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys Honors American Soldiers in the True Story of G.I. Joe & Lillie
Don't miss the end to see who GI Joe and Lillie are
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HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. - Joseph S. Bonsall (76) (May 18, 1948 - July 9, 2024) of Hendersonville, Tennessee passed on to Glory on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He leaves behind his precious wife, Mary Ann, daughters Jennifer and Sabrina, granddaughter Breanne, grandson Luke, two great grandsons, Chance and Grey, and a sister, Nancy. He is preceded in death by his parents Joseph S. Bonsall Sr. and Lillie Bonsall.
The story of G.I. Joe & Lillie opens in a time not unlike our own. Tension loomed over world affairs, soldiers were shipping off to distant lands and war was on everyone’s minds. In the midst of it all, two young people from different parts of the country set out on their own to serve their nation, to make something of themselves and to find out who they are and what they’re made of.
Author Joseph S. Bonsall, Jr., of the Oak Ridge Boys, takes you back to the 1940s and World War II and tells the story of what happened to those two young people in G.I. Joe & Lillie: Remembering a Life of Love and Loyalty (New Leaf Press, 2003).
Bonsall recounts the story of a boy from Philadelphia and a girl from North Carolina, both leaving home to break away from difficult home lives. G.I. Joe joins the Army and Lillie joins the United States Women’s Army Corps. After several years of service in the aftermath of World War II the young military couple meet in Long Island where they first discover a love that would hold them together through the personal aftershocks of war and the heartbreaking years that lay ahead.
The story of G.I. Joe and Lillie is one that Joseph S. Bonsall, Jr. has heard pieced together throughout his life and now offers as a tribute: “I am proud to say that my parents were Private First Class Joseph Sloan Bonsall Senior of the United States Army and Corporal Lillie Maude Collins Bonsall, Women’s Army Corps,” explains Bonsall.
The story of Joseph and Lillie Bonsall is the story of the American dream and the heartaches that often accompany it: Growing up in a difficult home, Struggling to make it on your own, Fighting for your country, Raising a family, Making a living, and Developing true character.
Bonsall shares the story of his parents’ life as an honor to the American soldier and to the principles that they exemplify and fight for—freedom, dedication, sacrifice, love and faith. Bonsall writes: “My mother [Lillie] always reminded us that men like my father fought and died so that we could pursue our dreams. That is what living in America is all about.” ~Source gijoeandlillie.com
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