O Chaplain! My Chaplain! Man of Service

About the Book

When Janelle's grandfather dies in her arms, she sees in his eyes an answer to the undying question we all struggle with in life: Where do we go from here? By fate or by faith, she follows the mystery-of-the-eyes to find Chaplain Barber, the man who would save her from death's sorrow and change her life forever.

Chaplain George Russell Barber is the last living chaplain from the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944. He survived Normandy's bloodiest beach battle,

"I dug like it was only up to me. I prayed like it was only up to God. Together, we dug that hole pretty deep."

He went on to march across Europe for eleven more months without a weapon. Armed only with his Bible and his faith, Chaplain Barber preached the gospel during the most dangerous war scenes of the European theatre in World War II,

"There are no atheists in foxholes."

One of the last of the red-blooded American boys, Chaplain Barber tells Janelle his life history like a Little Big Man of the Greatest Generation. From the cotton fields back home to the Horse Cavalry days, through three wars, the Space Age and the war on terrorism, his life of service grips the heart of the small town patriot and likewise spins the mind of the spiritually inquisitive.

"The Bible has been known to stop a bullet, but that's not the only reason I believe."

Through their conversations, prayers and meditations, Janelle and the Chaplain mix the secret ingredients for the recipe of the Red, White and Blue in you.

About the Author

Janelle was granted the Daughters of the American Revolution award upon her high school graduation in 1985. She earned a full ride to the University of Nebraska where she competed on the Lady 'Huskers NCAA Division I, three-time Big Eight and two-time Regional Championship softball team. She is a member of Delta Delta Delta national sorority and holds a masters degree in Instructional Leadership from National University.

She is a single mother and has been teaching full-time near her hometown of La Palma, California, for fifteen years. She currently serves students attending the local continuation high school where she is developing The Hopefuls project, alternative teens paired with special needs children, healing the heart of service through performance art. This program is designed to build a better community of understanding while restoring the human spirit.

Besides being a skilled artist and musician, Reiki master, certified massage technician and part-time commercial model and actress, Janelle is a versatile athlete having played professionally with Ladies League Baseball, 1997-1998. When she's not working, volunteering, tutoring, coaching or tinkering with her '63 Ford Falcon, she writes! "...with God all things are possible."

Photo caption: "Chaplain Barber and Janelle Frese at Jack's"

Janelle met the Chaplain on Memorial Day 2001 when he was 86. Since then they claim to have developed an eternal friendship of Biblical proportions, and they wish the same for everyone on Earth.