LIBERTY SHIP SURVIVOR: Why Ray Laenen is so Proud to be an American

by Joseph Mazzara

LIBERTY SHIP SURVIVOR: Why Ray Laenen is so Proud to be an American Liberty Ship Survivor is the compelling tale of one man's journey from Belgian immigrant to proud and patriotic American citizen. Over 100 photographs support his incredible tales of courage, survival, faith, friendship and forgiveness. Remie "Ray" Laenen's parents brought him to America from Oevel, Belgium in 1927, in search of freedom and opportunity. The family settled on the East Side of Detroit. After graduating from St. Rose High School in 1944, Ray immediately went into the United States Army, where he would learn a life-defining lesson about the true cost of freedom. On February 6, 1945, Ray's life was changed forever. His Liberty Ship was sunk in the Indian Ocean by torpedoes from a German U-boat. He survived an incredible twenty-two day ordeal in a crowded lifeboat, only to return to service more determined than ever to defend America's freedom.When the war ended, Ray went about the business of carving out his piece of the American Dream. Fifty years after the sinking of the SS Peter Silvester, Ray and his wife Norma traveled to Germany to meet and forgive the very men who had sunk his ship. This is the story of the making of an American Patriot.

212 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2005

Reviews

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was initially concerned the book was going to be overly patriotic and/or religious in nature. While those themes were clearly present, they were not too “in your face.”

The book reads well and flows nicely. I was occasionally annoyed by extraneous commas and sometimes commas lacking. The author included enough detail to make the story understandable and personable but not so much that it was burdensome. The chapters are succinct and, perhaps, a bit too brief. Liberty ships get about 30 pages and the time in the lifeboat only about half that. I anticipated that would be a larger part of the overall story.

[Cmazzara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book incorporating heart-felt drama with a lot of tension. If you like a good old fashioned tale with laughter, loyalty and forgiveness, this is the book for you. Also, the author is very good at explaining why American soldiers were bringing mules to Burma in World War II. I couldn't put this down, and was sad when it ended!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My uncle was on the ship with Ray and is one of the "amigos" mentioned in the book. I never knew the story and it is amazing what these guys went through and survived.