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California Valor, Charles Harold Gonsalves, USMC Combat Diary and Medal of Honor

by John Allen Johnson

32 pages; saddle stitched; catalogue #03-2602; ISBN 1-4120-2023-9; US$22.99, C$29.00, EUR18.85, £13.06

The story of a brave young California man from the island city of Alameda who enlisted in the US Marine Corps to fight for his country in World War II.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book California Valor is about the bravest man who ever lived in California. Here is an account of the brief life of Charles Harold Gonsalves. He heroically laid down, covering an enemy hand grenade with his body, and sacrificed his safety. He died, saving the lives of others. California Valor accounts for his Portuguese ancestry, his birth, his education, and growing up in Alameda, California. The author has created a chronology and diary his enlistment in the Marine Corps, his training, of his combat experiences and ultimately his death and entombment in Golden Gate National Cemetary, San Bruno, California. California Valor is one of a series of Valor books about American Military Medal of Honor recipients. It is a significant contribution to California History and should be in the personal libraries of every man, woman and child in the State of California.

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About the Author John Allen Johnson was born in Arkansas and his early education was in a one-room school at Westline. Here, he and a legion of family members learned to read and write. He also attended public schools in DeQueen, Arkansas and Prineville, Oregon. John is proud of the military heritage of his family. His father, Murray California volunteered for duty In Word War I and his only brother enlisted in the Marine Corps during World War II. Numerous cousins and other relatives have served in the military. After the Korean War John attended Texarkana College in Texarkana, Texas. In 1957 he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Ouachita University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. In 1959 he was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in History from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy Degree at Pacific Western University, Los Angeles, California in 1997. John recently completed a Credential in Special Education at California State University, Sacramento. John teaches in a Bay Area High School and resides in Alameda, an island city in San Francisco Bay. His other publications include The Official California Handbook for School District Mapping; Haley - A Novel; and Arkansas Valor - A Biography of Charles Leon Gilliland, who at age 17, was the youngest American Hero awarded the Medal of Honor in the Korean War. John is the father of two daughters. He has five grandchildren. When the school work is done in mid June, John and his companion Joan, load a few things in the car and travel the back roads of America, just to relax. You can contact him online at Ptolemyl@aol.com

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Excerpts

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Catalogue Information

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