Local history authors Bonnie Jensen Cox and Jerry Cox have combined efforts to produce Home and Away: The Impact of World Wars I and II on Southern Coos and Northern Curry Counties in Oregon. The study offers a well-documented narration of what life was like for people living on the local homefront during World Wars I and II. Among the questions addressed are: How were national and state mandates for enlistments, rationing, and war readiness implemented locally?; What was the impact of war on families, education, the local economy, and community cohesiveness?; In the aftermath, what solutions were there for handling post-traumatic stress, war-related injuries, and surplus items?
The boundary for the study is the legal border that encompasses today’s Port Orford-Langlois School District 2CJ, inclusive of the area from Laurel Grove in Coos County to Mussel Creek near Prehistoric Gardens in Curry County. The eastern border of the study extends to the historic town of Eckley. The authors have compiled a list of men and women who served during the two wars---inclusive of all residents who lived within the boundary of the study at some point in their lives.
Special attention has been given to the young men who lost their lives during the two wars ---their back stories and the circumstances leading to their final denouement described. The 520- page work is published in hardback and includes 200 pages of color images and maps to validate the study.
Because it is the authors’ goal to put the information out to the public and make it affordable, the selling price of the book is well below the actual printing cost. Interested parties can find the publication at both the Langlois and Port Orford libraries, and soon it will be available at the Curry Historical Society. For further information, contact bonjercox@gmail, text 541-404-2490, or phone 541-808-0270.
Other books by Bonnie Jensen Cox are: 1. The Story Behind the Treble Clef: Family Roots in Denmark Oregon; and 2. School Evolution: A Study of Southern Coos and Northern Curry School Origins.
