About the Author

   Hello, my name is Ivan Paul Mehosky. Welcome to my web site.

   I was born in London, England, on 7 January 1945, the oldest son of Edward and Yvonne Mehosky. My childhood was spent around Army posts in the States, in my hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, and in Germany. After graduating from James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia in 1964, I received a Bachelor's degree in 1968 from Frederick College in Portsmouth, Virginia, and earned a Master's degree from the University of Virginia in 1971.
    My wife, Charlotte and I reside in North East, Maryland. Over the past forty years I have worked as a classroom teacher, coach, and federal employee. For the past fifteen years I have had a passion for reading, teaching and writing.
    The inspiration for my first book, The Story Of A Soldier, took root at Omaha Beach and in the hedgerow country around the town of Carentan during a visit to Normandy, France, in 1987. There, I tried to visualize what the soldiers of that epic battle of WW II must have experienced. Returning to the States, I began contacting veterans of my Dad's old parachute unit. My aim was to write a unit history. But the more I talked with my Father and learned about his experiences in the war, the clearer it became that here was a great story in the making, the story of a soldier that had to be written. And so, beginning in 1989-1990, I embarked on a new journey of corresponding, researching, writing, and editing. Ten years later, although slowed by cancer and follow-up treatments, but sensing a second chance in this life, and with love and encouragement from family and my dear best friend, Emmet Rodifer, Jr., the finished product was published in 2001.
    It is said one has to crawl before one learns to walk. The process of writing, editing, and then getting published is no easy feat! But you learn and if you can make the second version better than the first, you should go for it. And that's exactly what I did. Devoting a whole year (2005-2006) to the rewrite and expansion of the original material, and with the dedicated support of my efficient editor, Sherrill Fink, the second generation of my book, The Story Of A Soldier, was published by BookSurge LLC, a company of Amazon.com in August 2006. This rewrite of my book promises to be better than the first with an eye-catching new cover, an easy to read format and some great quotes from veterans who have enjoyed reading my book. Alex Andros, a veteran of the 506th of WW II summed it up when he remarked, "By honoring your dad, you honor all of us." It is my wish and desire that this new book, The Story Of A Soldier may always do so.