Recollections Of A Truant Officer

A high school dropout, author James Donald Etheridge thought it was important to upgrade his status. He decided to exchange his less-than-perfect world for a more-less-than-perfect world as a soldier in the US Army. In My Life’s Recollections, he tells how he entered the military in 1952 as a boy and came out as a man. In this memoir, he recounts his story, beginning as a struggling child growing up in Alabama, his enrollment in the military, his deployments and work as a soldier during the Korean War, and of meeting his wife, Betty. Throughout his experiences, chronicled for the benefit of his children, Etheridge shares how he learned to work hard, value life, keep a sense of humor throughout his journeys, and always honor the heavenly father.

This book is a thrilling account of a person who was raised in poverty and by sheer will of determination overcame impossible obstacles to become an intelligence officer during the Korean War, an honor graduate of Temple University Law School, a prominent assistant DA in Philadelphia, a leading Civil Rights attorney, and a successful advocate for thousands of clients.His description of his childhood during the 1930s Depression and the many jobs he worked at during this period and in his later teen years will amaze the reader.His description of his parents, siblings, and children is especially poignant. As a child, his father was constantly leaving the family for months on end and finally left for good when the author was about thirteen years old. He describes the hardships during this period and his ability to overcome these conditions.The author also describes his training at Fort Benning, Georgia, to become an officer during the Korean War as well as his duties in the Army Security Agency intercepting enemy encrypted messages.The author's account of his interactions with his two young children as a divorced father will delight the reader to no end. His love affair with his wife, Kathy, will also pull at the heartstrings of the reader.The reader will especially enjoy the many legal cases that the author describes in detail. From the "poison apple" case that wound up in a lengthy article in "Inside Detective" magazine to his reliance on the legal doctrines of "attractive nuisance" and "fruit of the poisonous tree," the reader will learn some interesting legal principles. The author also relates a detailed description of his tactics in prosecuting as well as defending some murder suspects in cases assigned to him by the Courts. In addition, he gives a detailed description of the many Civil Rights cases he handled as well as his representation of some unique civil cases which garnered extensive media coverage.The author winds up his book with several short descriptions of some scary encounters, his unusual steps to foster his love of music, and some entertaining comments about his golf and card games.The author's unusual life story will surely spark an inspirational feeling and attract the interest of his readers.

"When you reach the age of 100, suddenly, even if you did nothing notable, you are a celebrity. Friends, even longtime ones, neighbors and strangers look at you differently. You see and feel it. When perfect strangers find out, they shake your hand, as if, by osmosis, you can transfer the secrets of long life to them." Morrie Markoff only has this advice: Keep Breathing. These are his recollections from the last century beginning in a New York tenement in 1914. Morrie recalls his impoverished beginnings that led to his creative years as a metal sculpture artist and photographer. Although he never set out to achieve any milestones, Los Angeleno Morrie has received media attention for his first gallery showing at age 100, diamond anniversary to his wife Betty, and his first book signing at age 103. Morrie has no plans to take it easy. He only has plans to "Keep Breathing."