‘Uncommon Valor’: A World War II Veteran’s Son on His Father’s Legacy

Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library

When Patrick Kerin traveled to France last June with his wife and daughter, it underscored the importance of reprinting a revised version of his dad’s memoir, Uncommon Valor, and donating it to the Library.

“To be where World War II combat had occurred—to be in Paris, to think about the nazis and Hitler walking those streets, to be on Omaha Beach, to see those places—was powerful,” said Patrick, a customer advisor at the Groesbeck Branch. Driving through Normandy, he got the sense of the place's beauty, but also the cost, suffering, and heroism of World War II, the death toll of which still haunt the battle sites.

About Uncommon Valor: The Marine Memoir of James Richard “Dick” Kerin

His late father, James Richard Kerin, Sr., enlisted in 1943 and served as a paratrooper of the Fifth Marine Division during World War II . He fought at Bougainville and Iwo Jima, and was wounded at both battles. Uncommon Valor chronicles his time of service, but it’s also a project that has been decades in the making. James began writing his memories down in the 1990s, as the war’s 50-year anniversary approached.

“Veterans were getting older and there was something in the nation that was stirring where people realized that this generation was passing,” Patrick said.

A football coach and history teacher, James got more involved with veteran events after he retired in 1983.

“My mom had gotten on him, ‘You really ought to write this down. This is really interesting, what you went through. Write an account for the family, for posterity,’” Patrick recalled. “History, for him, wasn’t a hobby. It was an awareness, a sensibility. He loved history.”

It’s a love that James would inevitably pass on to his son. Patrick is a founding member of the Greenhills Historical Society, where he has served as a board member for 23 years, including two terms as president. Even after retirement, James spoke to students about World War II. He often gave the Memorial Day address on the Village Commons in Greenhills, Ohio.

“[My dad] really cared about the country,” Patrick said, emotion pausing his words.  “It was a good thing. I think that knowledge of history is something he wanted to share with other people.”

A First-Hand Account: The Veterans History Project

In the early 2000s, James got to share some of his personal history with World War II through the Veterans History Project. Coordinated by the Library of Congress, the Veterans History Project threads together first-hand accounts of those who defended the United States through recorded oral histories, photos, diaries, letters, and more. Along with World War II, the Library’s collection includes accounts from those who served during the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Explore the Veterans History Project

The project is, in part, why Patrick and his family wanted to donate Uncommon Valor to the Library’s collection. After all, he said: “What better place for a veteran’s memoir than a library?”

“We wanted to draw people’s attention to these stories that are so important, that are so powerful, and that give first-hand testimony to what people went through and what they’ve given to the country,” Patrick said.

Putting Together Uncommon Valor

During the interview, Patrick held up his dad’s manuscript, which was originally written on a Royal Typewriter. A more pared down edition, Looking Back: A Remembrance of World War II, was donated years ago by family friend Ray Hughes.

But Patrick and his family wanted something more substantial — and hardback. Working with freelance writer Sydney Smith, Patrick said that he retyped his dad’s manuscript and added explanatory notes, his dad’s obituary, and historical photos.

“We thought that it was such a rich kind of thing, that we wanted it for family members, but we also wanted to donate one to the Library,” Patrick said.

Keeping Veterans Memories Alive

At its core, the Veterans History Project acts to preserve and safekeep the memories of our nation’s veterans. Uncommon Valor, too, aims for just that. Patrick reflected that it’s easy to forget about the loss during wartime.

Iwo Jima — on e of the battles James fought and sustained injuries — alone saw over 24,000 casualties, the highest single-action loss in Marine Corps history. For every three Marine or corpsman who landed on Iwo Jima, one was either hurt or killed.

“The people who stepped up, who are firsthand eyewitnesses to history, they have things to share with us that are worthwhile,” Patrick said. “It’s worth remembering and hearing. We don’t want to lose that kind of knowledge or awareness.”