When author/historian Susan Vogt of Hummelstown began interviewing her grandfather prior to a family reunion, she got much more than she bargained for. 

(In the mid-1970s), Vogt was contributing editor for the (Port Royal) Times of Juniata County. During her four-year tenure there she wrote four different columns. One was called "I Remember When," based on interviews with Vogt's grandfather (Charles H. Wert). She said the idea for the column came from an "outgrowth leading up to the U.S. Bicentennial."

"Because I'm a history buff I thought I'd interview my grandfather ... and have it [interview] for our family reunion," Vogt said. "Once I started digging into his stories I discovered the information and memories he possessed were just too good to keep within the family." 

Vogt started printing his stories in her column and, much to her delight, discovered there was a lot of interest among her readers. 

"The public really enjoyed his stories about the past," Vogt said.

After four years of compiling his stories she had accumulated "quite a few." She said her next goal was to put it into book form (by the new millennium).

Vogt has since more than surpassed her initial goals. Three books later, her latest book in her Pennsylvania's Heartlands series, The World War II Years, recently received rave reviews from Andy Andrews, editor of Lancaster Farming, the largest weekly agricultural newspaper in the country. Described as a "tribute to those on the battle fronts and home front during WWII," Andrews said that "Vogt covers a lot of accounts from people who served in the war in many capacities, including those who even served as staff bodyguards . . . Vogt has put together a splendid book, with color photos too!" Andrews said.

In compiling information for her books, Vogt went right to the source, interviewing individuals who had lived through and fought in WWII. "I wanted to be as historically accurate as possible. Accuracy is important for history's sake and mattered very much to the people I interviewed," Vogt said. 

Some of the veterans that Vogt interviewed were . . . Glen Lee Bowers who received 11 air medals and three Distinguished Flying Crosses for his role in the Black Sheep Squadron. "Bowers was upset that the TV series was not always accurate. "These men are offended when history isn't accurately portrayed," Vogt said.

(Another battle front account is that of Lebanon County native, Bill Donley, who served as Gen. Roosevelt's bodyguard. Vogt had a personal interest in the WWII stories of her parents. Marlin and Miriam Wert, Juniata County. Her father was a Navy aviator-machinist - her mother a war bride.)

(According to the Press & Journal newspaper account), perhaps Vogt's most memorable interview was with WWII Army Nurse 1st Lt. Miriam Katharine (Stitt) Sausser of Camp Hill in July '01. Vogt said that Sausser gave her a "wealth of information," noting "Kate had a lot of material she had saved. She had a 1945 issue of the Port Royal News. I went right back to the source," Vogt said.

Vogt obtained permission from Hummelstown Sun newspaper editor, William Jackson (who wrote the Foreword to Vogt's WWII book and is good friends with Dick Winters) to reprint an article Bill had written about "Easy Company's" Major Dick Winters. Writers WWII diaries served as documentation for Stephen Ambrose's book-turned-movie, "Band of Brothers." (Later, when this film gained outstanding acclaim as an Emmy-winning mini-series on HBO, Director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks flew Dick Winters to the Emmy Awards in California.) In 2002, Vogt had the privilege of viewing excerpts from the movie, personally narrated in a presentation by Dick Winters, at a Hershey, PA WWII Roundtable to which Vogt belongs.

Besides the above four storytellers, Vogt also used old newspaper accounts among other bits of memorabilia. She said that weekly newspapers were sent free to servicemen wherever they were stationed. "This would produce lifelong loyal subscribers. And when the boys would write home, some of the newspapers would print their letters word for word," Vogt said. She said that "most of the people I interviewed were taken from tranquil farm scenes; they were rural people who were transported halfway around the world." 

The government gathered data in 1940 on farm production. In the thick of the war after 1941, the government said the farmers had to produce what was recorded for 1940, plus farm an additional acre for every 12 acres farmed in 1940. Not only did American farmers keep America from famine, Vogt said that due to the war-ravaged farmland in Europe, U.S. farmers ended up feeding the entire free world. Vogt also chronicles the contributions of American farmers whose tractors also became implements of war and greatly contributed to victory as well.

Vogt points out that organizations banded together like they did after 9/11 to turn the tide of the war. Vogt, with permission, used information gleaned from a booklet published in 1946 by the Pa. Historical & Museum Commission in her book. Some of this information states that "as early as 1937 Hershey Chocolate developed the famous Ration D bar, which kept many a soldier from starvation." Another interesting tidbit is the fact that "Pa. veterans received more Medals of Honor than veterans of any other state." And still yet another amazing fact is that, "Pa. steel mills alone almost equaled the output of the entire Axis (enemy forces) in the closing of the war."

Vogt's untiring 25-year research also led her to do a history of the different tractors that were used during the war years. She points out that the tractors used for food production were just as important as other implements of war. She traveled to several different counties to research the history and take photos of tractors used.
"I collect stories like other people collect stamps," Vogt said . . . she said the compilation and completion of the book was not without its challenges and difficulties. "Writing grants tend to go to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. From a literary, historical point of view, Central Pa. tends to fall through the cracks. I ended up financing the book myself" (so the local stories would be preserved), Vogt said.

Vogt dedicated her third book to her parents. Vogt's mother was a war bride and her dad was in the Navy. Her father started in the North Pacific in 1940 but then was immediately shipped to the South Pacific after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Vogt said he went for years without talking about his wartime experiences. Vogt's parents were one of the very first to receive a copy of her third book.

"My mom was my proofreader . . . I wanted to dedicate (this book) to my parents while they were still alive," she said. 

Any of the three volumes of Vogt's books may be ordered from this website: www.paheartlandsbooks.com, or by calling (717) 566-5700, or by writing to:

Copyright 2003 Susan Wert Vogt