The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 102, July 1998 - April, 1999 Page: 529

Book Reviews

Ellison's resort to the discourse of religion rather than history will be a draw-
back for some readers. His one-sided tendency to see the presence of God in
Texas Baptist Sunday School growth overshadows what others might see as the
lurking presence of Satan in Beaumont-from one of which Sunday Schools
two major contemporary Southern Baptist leaders have graduated who no
longer speak to each other. But that is a fascinating subject of research for the
Second Coming of this weak but welcome scattered sprinkling of Sunday
School history. What is wanted is some "showers of blessing" in which lovers of
Baptist, social, and Sunday School history can be properly immersed. No one
seems to have a better head start to seed the clouds than does Beaumont
Baptist Ellison.
Jamestown, North Carolina JAMEs LUTZWEILER
Texans of Valor: Military Heroes in the 2oth Century. By Dede Weldon Casad.
(Austin: Eakin Press, 1998. Pp. ix+162. Illustrations, introduction, endnotes,
bibliography, index. ISBN 1-57168-113-2. $16.95, paper.)
In Ecclesiasticus, one of the books of the Apocrypha, an ancient Hebrew
admonished the teachers of his time: "Let us now praise famous men, and our
fathers that begat us." Dede Weldon Casad, in her latest book, followed that
advice in gathering the stories of many Texans of this century as military heroes.
She grouped those she selected according to the wars in which they served,
World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Several and their deeds were set out in biographical sketches. The deeds of
valor of many were described more briefly in the citations awarding them deco-
rations. Some will be recognized immediately by the young readers for whom
the book seems to have been written. Others will not be so easily recognized,
and she has done a great service for those of more modest reputations who per-
formed acts of true valor.
First described is John Thomason, a Texan who entered the U.S. Marine
Corps through the Texas Naval Militia inr 1917. He served as a young officer in
some of the bloodiest actions of World War I as part of the Marine Brigade of
the Army's Second Infantry Division. His actions marked him a true military
hero. He continued in the Marine Corps after the war and made a splendid rep-
utation for himself as a talented writer on military subjects and as an excellent
illustrator. He continued to serve as a Marine until his death in 1944. Perhaps
his inclusion in this book will revive interest in his career and in the Texas Naval
Militia about which little has been written.
As can be understood, most of the Texans of valor were from the days of
World War II including men-and women too-of Army, Navy, and Marine
Corps. Generals, officers of lesser rank, and enlisted persons are all recognized.
As the author states in her introduction, there "is the danger of leaving someone
out who more than deserves to be included." Among those she selected were
Eisenhower and Nimitz, James Rudder, Audie Murphy, and Doris Miller.
The lists from the Korean War and Vietnam are shorter, but the exploits
described are no less valorous. None from the short days of the Gulf War are
given, but perhaps that list is yet to be compiled.

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