Life was simple although difficult for the Bartlett family during the Depression Era. The eight Bartlett siblings worked on their family's farm in rural Deer Trail, Colorado. Their happy, simple life was interrupted with the outbreak of World War II. For a 10-year-old Albert Bartlett, this meant watching his favorite older brother, Jack, leave the family farm to defend the country shortly after he enlisted in the Marines in 1940. Jack's decision to join the military would change the course of many lives in ways he never could have imagined.

Jack was a strapping young man who stood 6'4" tall, full of ambition and talent. He had aspirations to become a medical doctor and even saved a doctor's life out in the field when his appendix ruptured. After leaving the United States to serve his country, Jack was captured during the Battle of Corregidor in 1941 and forced to live as a Japanese Prisoner of War. Jack continued to put his medical background to use and tended to several fellow POWs. After spending four hellish years in squalid conditions, Jack passed away in 1945. The heartache of the loss of Jack was something that never diminished over the years. Five years ago, Albert, now a Gig Harbor resident and an Army veteran himself, began work on writing a book in honor of his older brother and his incredible story.

Bartlett spent countless hours pouring over research on the WWII era as well as recalling personal memories with the support of his family, especially his wife Nancy. The Bartlett family had very little communication with Jack during his imprisonment but miraculously; they had help from Jack's high school love, who he was to marry when he returned home. Rebecca had worked for a newspaper in Washington, D.C. and later became a war correspondent. By a stroke of luck, she was able to keep in touch with Jack during his imprisonment in the POW camp. Her communication with Jack, as well as the public broadcasts by Jack himself publicized by the Japanese government, kept the Bartlett family's hope alive until the end.

Bartlett's book, Yesterday's Wind, is a triumphant and emotional dedication to his hero and brother, Jack. While the names of characters have been changed, the book is based on Jack, his life, and the strange coincidences that would become fate. However, very little of the book focuses on Jack's time in the POW camp as Bartlett preferred to focus the book on his brother's character and the world around him. "I feel good about it," said Bartlett. "It is based on a true story and I've done quite a bit of research about it." Bartlett strived to ensure that the stories regarding the war and life at home fit together accurately.  

Bartlett explains that the title of the book comes from a deep and sentimental quote in the book. At one point, Andrew, the character based on Jack, expresses regret about joining the military to his father and wishing he could turn back time. However, his father simply but profoundly replies, "You can't pump water with yesterday's wind."

Bartlett has an admirable amount of pride when talking about his brother Jack. For him, it is more than recognition from a book he wrote, it is about making sure his brother's story was accurately told and appreciated. This book honors his brother by immortalizing him in an extraordinary piece of literature for all to cherish for many generations to come.

Yesterday's Wind is now available for purchase locally or from websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.