Call to Arms

Sherman said: "War is Hell." And he was right. I soldiered in three wars and I know. "Call to Arms" is the unforgettable war memoir of patriotic young soldier Billy Kay (William Kruegel). It takes the reader on an epic adventure to the forefront of war, as seen through one soldier's eyes at the turn of the 19th century. The story of a young soldier's lost innocence, lost love, and his personal discovery of the true nature and brutality of war. Billy Kay struggles to survive epic battles that take place in three wars on three continents. The journey begins with the Spanish American War in Cuba, with its legendary Battle of San Juan Hill, and continues on to the Philippine American War. It concludes at the very gates of the Forgotten City in China's Boxer Rebellion. Each epic battle is told from the firsthand account of a young reluctant Texan who throws in the butcher's cleaver to become an enlisted man. Billy Kay bounces between army cook and soldier, recording the raw emotion bred by the wrath of mankind and mother nature alike. More than 80 years after it was written, William Kruegel's war memoir sat dusty and unknown in a Crawford family steamer trunk. Now, readers may discover history's real heroes, villains, and cowards that were once forgotten by time.