FULTON – Christine Rose, wife of the late Howard Rose of Fulton, recently donated six copies of his memoir, “Diary of a Disposable Soldier,” to the Fulton Public Library Director Caroline Chatterton said.
“We’re extremely grateful to Christine for sharing these copies of her husband’s book with the library,” Chatterton said. “It’s a very well written, poignant, and candid account of her husband Howard’s life-changing experiences as a U.S. Army infantryman during the Vietnam war. We’ve had many requests from our patrons who want to read it, and now more people will be able to enjoy it thanks to her generosity.”
In Howard’s words from the book: “The innocence of my youth forever changed the day I was drafted and shipped out to Vietnam. The memories are engrained in my being, and I will take those with me to my grave. This memoir was written for all the men, women, and children on both sides of the war who sacrificed so much in the jungle. This experience taught me that we all have so much more in common than that which divides us. We are not enemies but friends.”
During his tour in Vietnam, from 1968-1970, Rose initially served in combat, then received the opportunity to become a combat artist and use his love for drawing and art while serving in a combat zone. Following his tour, Howard earned a fine arts degree from SUNY Oswego and was well known and respected throughout central New York for his graphic design work for many years through his Howard Rose Art Sign Service.
He was also a 20-year veteran of the Fulton Fire Department and served as both a Volney Town Board counselor and supervisor from 1989-1995. He and Christine were married for 40 years. Rose passed away in December 2020.
For more information on FPL, visit their website at www.fultonpubliclibrary.org, find them on Facebook under “Fulton Public Library, Fulton, New York,” or contact them at (315) 592-5159.
