[Longhorn Review] From Wagons to the Moon
By: David Carrol Wallace
This is the autobiography of Texan D. C. Wallace. It is a series of vignettes
starting with his early memories of the 1920s and 30s. He describes his family's
moves by horse drawn wagon from one rural Texas farmstead to another, his service in
World War II including his advanced technical training, his post war success as a
service station worker and eventual owner, and finally his retirement. The writing
style is charmingly candid, providing the reader with an overview of both the
American Dream and the social (and racial) sentiments of the times as his personal
success parallels the economic and technical advancement of the United States. I
found it amazing to contemplate how adaptable his generation was. Being born at a
time when airplanes (made of wood and fabric) were an unusual sight, they lived to
see men walk on the moon, women command the space shuttle, and NASA probes reach the
outer solar system. Overall a delightful piece of Americana/Texana covering a
remarkable period of social and technical progress.
Reviewer: James Stolpa
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