War stories

Fifteen years ago, Monroe County resident Robert Thrasher put his first story about his World War II experiences on paper. The feedback from his friends and family was so positive that he ended up with a book full \nof stories.\n“Popcorn Road to Paris ... And Back” is a book of compiled memories about Thrasher’s time in the war. Thrasher was a member of the 99th Division’s 395th infantry regiment, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. One of Thrasher’s daughters, Nancy Sheehy, is now trying to get the book made into a movie.\n“It would be nice if something happened with the movie, but I’m sure my dad is just satisfied that the book is done,” said Jane Canter, one of Thrasher’s daughters. “He just feels so good. It’s like a remembrance to his life.”\nThrasher’s children were the ones who encouraged him to begin writing his stories.\nWhen he first started putting his stories on paper, he sent them to his old Army friends, and some were published in his infantry’s newsletter. \n“The feedback always spurred him on to write another story,” Canter said. “People would say ‘Tell your dad to write more stories. We love them. When’s his next story going to be released?’”\nOne of the stories in his book describes an incident before the Battle of the Bulge when Thrasher and his friends passed a German soldier. The soldier made eye contact but did nothing. In his book he wrote, “I still don’t know how we were so lucky to have made it back to our platoon. I can only assume again that a bigger presence was watching over me.” \nThrasher loves to tell stories. Every time he tells one, he thinks of another he wants to tell, he said. \nAfter the Battle of the Bulge, he was sent back to Belgium. Belgian citizens were paid to let the soldiers sleep on the floor, and Thrasher and his other 40 platoon members slept on the floor of a Belgian woman’s barn for several days.\n“She would come in sometimes and put fuel in the old stove and pat us boys on the butt,” Thrasher said as \nhe laughed.\nAfter the war, Thrasher had a full-time job at the post office, and he was also a full-time farmer. Thrasher currently lives on his 500-acre farm in Harrodsburg, Ind., several miles south of Bloomington. \n“I bought the farm land in little pieces,” he said. “I didn’t want to own the whole world, just whatever was next to me.” \nHe told a story of how he had a direct altercation with General George Patton. \n“Me and a few buddies didn’t salute him and he cussed at us for 20 minutes,” he said. “He said he hoped we died and went to hell because of what he was going to do to us.”\nThrasher’s book was published in 2007, and since then he has attended book signings at Barnes and Noble as well as a private book-signing party at Tutto Bene. His friends and family think he is a \ngreat storyteller.\n“He has a personal voice and I think it comes across really well,” said longtime friend and co-worker Joan Hershey, who has known Thrasher since 1974. “He has a real gift for expressing himself.” \nSheehy talked about how she felt more connected to her father during and after his process of writing the book. \n“The book was good because I had to call him a lot and talk to him about various things,” Sheehy said. “I feel like I have this different relationship with him now. It seems like the book has brought everyone closer together.” \nSheehy has sent over the book and information to David Letterman’s office in attempts to get her father on the show. \nThrasher’s thoughts?\n“I don’t know if I want to go on David Letterman,” Thrasher said with a laugh. “As long as I got good liquor and good books, I don’t need anything else.”