SEMPER FIDELIS The Homecoming of Carlson's Raiders
No Man Left Behind

This is a historical fiction opening chapter set during and after World War II, focusing on the emotional impact of war on one American family, the Holtoms.The story begins in Palo Alto, California in 1942, where the Holtom family receives devastating news that their son, Captain Gerald Holtom, has been killed in action in the South Pacific during the Makin Island raid. His mother, Grace Holtom, removes a blue star from a service flag in their window and replaces it with a gold star, symbolizing the loss of a family member in the war.The narrative then shifts to the family’s emotional response to grief showing the father’s restrained sorrow, the mother’s deep mourning, and the symbolic weight of the empty space left by their son. The home is described as quiet, heavy with grief, and filled with memories.Later, the story moves forward to October 1942, when the surviving sons, both U.S. Navy officers, visit home before being deployed. The family speaks about duty, sacrifice, and the realities of war, highlighting the tension between patriotism and personal loss.