Publisher's Synopsis
No one has ever combined noodling for catfish, fumbling camping trips, Prohibition gangsters, Paleolithic fishing methods, drunken Polish American Immigrants, WWII tank warfare, mixed nuts, mob run unions, and leaking johnboats into one story - until now. My grandfather's life story combines a variety of elements into a truly unique and humorous narrative. While sometimes dark and shrouded in horror, yet simultaneously packed with comical vignettes, history, and life lessons, this epic story develops a broad picture of the legacy of an amazing life; and it imparts wisdom for our time and beyond. Louis Baczewski, "Louch" and five friends grew up during the Great Depression battling a muddy grungy creek named Shoal. It was on this stream in rural Illinois, that they fished with only the crudest methods to seize the roughest of fish. They lived off the creek in a style similar to the fabled stories of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. All five of these friends would end up fighting in Europe in the US First Army- Louch and two others would ultimately survive. They were from a small town of only 800 people, but all their paths crossed during the war; some in absolutely miraculous ways. Along the banks of Shoal Creek, my grandfather would tell me stories of his life, while he also taught me the same fishing methods that he and his friends and brothers had learned so long ago. Although they were arduous and archaic, I chose to never forget them. There was wisdom and stillness to be gained from fishing Shoal Creek. There was an ethic of life and hard work taught to me and all my family there. Fishing Shoal helped my grandfather forget the war, just as it eventually helped me throughout my own life. The word "shoal" itself means shallow, yet this creek ran deep through our family history and it is the tie that binds this vast story together. This book flows from Pocahontas Illinois, to WWII Europe, and back home again. As part of the 3rd Armored Division, Louch survived five major European campaigns, battled "Hitlers Own" SS Division in the Battle of the Bulge, liberated the Dora-Mittlebau concentration camp and V2 missile factory, only to return home and tangle with mob run unions and desperate times. He was one of only a handful of men in his entire company to survive the war. Despite all the trials and tribulations of his life, Louch never lost his humanity. His story is one that few will forget. Part of the proceeds from every book sale goes towards worthy veteran's charities.
