By David Michonski
At the October 11 meeting Bob Meaney introduced this week’s speaker, Mark Perlman, who spoke about his book “The Reluctant Soldier.” Mr. Perlman has called this historical novel “a wonderful mix of history and fiction about WWI, the interwar years in Paris, and WWII.” The book sets out the experiences, both good and laced with discrimination, of a fictional African American soldier.
“The Reluctant Soldier” follows the adventures and misadventures of Virgil Carpenter, an African American teacher at the City College of New York in the early 1900s, who becomes an unwitting combatant in World War I and joins a famous African American regiment, the 369th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed “The Harlem Hellfighters.” His fictionalized story draws him into the most important events of the twentieth century. After the war Virgil becomes an expatriate in Paris during the exciting “jazz era” of the interwar period and meets famous expatriates such as Josephine Baker, Ernest Hemingway, Eugene Bullard, and Sylvia Beach, to name a few. When World War II breaks out, he is recruited into the intrigue of the French Resistance. The interwar period in Paris provides a vivid backdrop to Virgil’s traumatic and complicated life. Racial segregation and prejudice faced by African Americans are an integral part of American history. This novel addresses this difficult legacy. It also addresses the slow, but steady progress of Black minorities to be accepted and valued in the complex American culture.
Mark Perlman is a resident of Fairfield County, Conn. He has a passion for military history that has taken him to the battlefields and cemeteries of France. The French language version of “The Reluctant Soldier” has been published in Europe under the title “Le Soldat Involontaire.” The English language edition can be purchased at Diane’s Books of Greenwich. Mark Perlman can be emailed at Firstdiv@optonline.net and his website is www.thereluctantsoldier.com.
To see the full presentation, go to https://greenwichrma.org, cursor to “Speakers” and click on “Speaker Videos.”
The RMA’s upcoming presentation, “Recent Multi-State Actions by Attorneys General,” by Connecticut Attorney General Willam Tong, is scheduled for 11 AM on Wednesday, October 25th. In an era of increasing partisanship and gridlock, especially at the national level, Attorneys General are playing an increasing role in addressing many of today’s most critical issues. Attorney General Tong has been a leader among his colleagues in working collaboratively with Attorneys General on a bipartisan basis to go after bad actors, punish wrongdoing, and seek remedies to some of society’s most challenging problems. Attorney General Tong will discuss this multi-state work and its implications for the people of Connecticut.
Attorney General Tong is the 25th Attorney General to serve Connecticut since the office was established by the state constitution in 1897. He first took office in 2019 and is currently serving his second term.
Attorney General Tong is a national leader in many of the most consequential lawsuits and investigations in our country today, including bipartisan, multi-state efforts to hold the addiction industry accountable for their role in the opioid crisis; to restore fair competition and prices in the generic drug industry; to hold social media giants accountable for the harms they may cause to kids and young people; to stop robocall scammers; and to ensure corporations safeguard our personal information from misuse and respect consumers’ rights regarding the collection and use of their information.
Attorney General Tong previously practiced for 18 years as a litigator in both state and federal courts. He served for 12 years as a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, where he served as House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee as well as the Banking Committee.
During his service in the legislature, Attorney General Tong was the author and driver of several major Connecticut laws, helping lead the state’s efforts against gun violence and domestic violence, among many other critical laws and initiatives.
A Connecticut native, Attorney General Tong grew up in the Hartford area and attended schools in West Hartford. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover, Brown University, and the University of Chicago Law School.
To stream the presentation by Attorney General Tong at 11 AM on Wednesday, October 25th, click on https://bit.ly/30IBj21. This presentation will also be available on local public access TV channels, Verizon FIOS channel 24 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79.
Note: The views expressed in these presentations are those of the speakers. They are not intended to represent the views of the RMA or its members.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees, regardless of gender. Any member of the public who would like to receive a weekly email announcement of future speakers should send a request to members@greenwichrma.org. The RMA urges all eligible individuals to consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer, and community service opportunities which the RMA offers to its members. For further information, go to https://greenwichrma.org/, or contact members@greenwichrma.org.
