DESTINIES TERMINATED

About the Book

These short stories surfaced within my head each time I had the occasion to read published reports of a parent, or parents, who happened to slaughter his, her, or their offspring. It seemed as if every time one turned on the television, picked up a newspaper or magazine, the one story to catch one’s attention was about the death of an innocent child at the hand of a parent. Each time I wondered as to who that child would have been or what he or she could have accomplished. It saddened me to think that a human life had just been extinguished without having been given a chance to excel in life. The more I read or heard, the more I pondered the idea of giving each child his or her chance to show what he or she would have been. I purposely chose to portray the positive possibilities and decided not to dwell on the things that could be construed as negative. Each child’s short-lived beginning was already too short and too negative. I hope that these short stories bring to light and instill in all who read them what a great loss a child’s passing is for all of us. The world may never know what each child’s contribution to humanity would have been, or what ailments and human ills they would have eradicated. It is with hope that this book may, even though fictional, somehow bestow credence to their brief lives.

About the Author

Born June 24, 1936 in Truchas, New Mexico, one of four siblings, raised by a young widowed mother.  Our house was a four-room adobe, with dirt floors throughout.  No indoor facilities.  Each room did have a wood-burning fireplace in one of the corners of each room. The fireplaces, not only provided much needed heat, during winter, but lighting as well. 1947 our family moved to Leadville, Colorado. At age 17, volunteered and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Sent to the Marine Corps Engineer School at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and exposed to what became a life-long career. Over the next 26 years I married a Southern Belle from Washington, NC, who provided me with two daughters and one son. Served two tours of duty in Vietnam and, over the course of my tenure in the Corps I went from Private, to field grade of Major and finally retired.  Our offspring gave us Five Grand Children and Twelve Great Grand Children. Served as Instructor, supervisor, superintendent and department manager at several Nuclear plants. Finally settled in South Carolina’s Savannah River Site and helped to provide the Department Of Energy’s construction efforts until my retirement in 2002.