As the Harcum College community prepares to honor Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2024, Karen Marshall will discuss her new book, Finding My Father’s Footsteps: A Journey Within the Battlefields of World War II.

The event is open to the public and will take place on Oct. 29, 4-5:00 PM at Harcum’s Charles H. Trout Library (750 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr). Complimentary parking is in front of the library. To attend virtually, visit the YouTube link here.

About Finding My Father’s Footsteps: A Journey Within the Battlefields of World War II

Shocked by a stranger’s accusation that her father lied about how he acquired the first volume of Nazi Leader Heinrich Himmler’s copy of Mein Kampf during World War II, the Author embarked on a journey to defend her father’s honor. Armed with a war journal her father never shared with his family and her training in historical research, Marshall returns to the battlefields of Europe.

Not only does Marshall confront the meaning of the faded red volume, but she reconsiders her past as a youthful anti-Vietnam War protester while tracing the movements of her father’s 4th Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment from D-Day to V-E Day in Europe. She asks herself, and the reader: What does honor, country, and service mean to those of us who have not put our lives on the line to protect our family, community, and country? What does it mean to those who have? Her answer lies within the personal stories and reflections of the soldiers and civilians forever impacted by the deadly conflict.

About Karen Marshall

Marshall lives in Chester County, and she worked there in historic preservation planning for more than twenty years. Drawing on her earlier background in performance management and television, she developed public education and interpretation programs within the county in addition to guiding communities in developing historic preservation standards.

One of her proudest accomplishments was the extensive documentation of the Battle of Brandywine (1777) for the American Battlefield Protection Program. Retired, she enjoys sailing with her husband, attending her daughter’s choral performances, entertaining her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, and developing projects related to “the stories of the past and how they inform our lives today.”

Active in community preservation, she is Chair of the Kennett Township Historical Commission and on the Boards of the Chester County Historic Preservation Network, the Kennett Underground Railroad Center, the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway, and the Kennett Heritage Center. She holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a certificate in Historic Preservation.

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