Acknowledgments
I want to thank the people of Crete, who opened their hearts to reminisce about this painful part of their lives. I'd also like to thank the thousands of German soldiers buried on the island, whom are all part of the inspiration for this novel; my Japanese friend Kazuyoshi Ide for his endless support and encouragement; my friend Felix Bañuelos for his love and support, and my family for being there -- especially my grandchildren: Christopher D. Demakas, Anastasia D. Demakas, Mari Shields and George Shields.
I would also like to add a special thank you to my associate writer and student editor, Cameron S. Bigger, for his valuable artistic input, and for editing this novel.