For a moment – think about what life was like during WWII. Your postman has a tradition of blowing a whistle outside of your house if you get a letter from your soldier. You hear the whistle and it’s a letter from a stranger letting you know that your soldier is still alive and is a POW.

Now imagine going through boxes at your mom’s house and stumbling upon hundreds of letters from families of POWs. This is Agnes Joan Negra and Ronald Edward Negra’s story. A story of inspiration, hope, and the kindness of strangers.

101 year old Agnes Joan Negra, is the subject of the Book, “Waves of Hope” now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Agnes, is so excited about this Book, which tells of her adventures during WWII, listening to her shortwave Radio from Nutley, NJ each day to Radio Berlin, to hear names of American POWs announced. She then wrote letters to their family to let them know their loved one was still ALIVE! Many of the POW family letters and postcards written back to her are included in the book, and Agnes’ story is woven throughout the text.

Ronald  Edward Negra, a NJ native, was born on November 9, 1947. He enjoys writing about genealogy and wrote his first book in 2004 titled, “The History of the Verdi Family…Celebrating 100 Years in America.” Ron was inspired to write “Waves of Hope” by his mother Agnes Joan Negra, after learning of her extraordinary role in World War II communicating with the families of American soldiers, as they were captured and became Prisoners of War. His mother always believed it was important for Americans to understand the sacrifices of these men and the emotions they and their families experienced, of fear, anxiety, sadness, and hope.

If you want to keep up with what Ronald is doing, check out his website at ronaldedwardnegra.com or find the book here or here.

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda

Today we are showcasing two of our volunteers who are MRE (Motivated and Ready to Empower) recipients.

Chrissy Gibbs, Content Curator

Chrissy married her husband in 2010, and jumped right into her milspouse role. She knew that life would be more adventurous and sometimes more difficult, but it would always be worth it. She had previously received her teaching degrees from Niagara University in Special Education and spent a few years teaching, but once she began having children, she chose to put those talents to work in her own home. Chrissy is a mother to four energetic boys, and one husky pup (also a male), so you could say she’s the queen of the castle! Chrissy and her family are currently living in Fort Leavenworth, but will have another PCS on the horizon.

In her free time, you can find her working out, at a playdate with close friends, on the hunt for the next geocache, or hiding away binge-watching her favorite guilty pleasure TV shows. She is super excited to be a part of the AWN team and can’t wait to connect with new friends.

Next we want to recognize a member from our Band of Bloggers:

Scot Shumski, Band of Bloggers

Scot ...