ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – He is one of 9 siblings, moved all over the world and has plenty of stories to share from that time. So many stories, that Robert “Bob” Heath, Sr. decided to write a book called, “Growing Up Army”.
Heath was a former principal at Sullivan Middle School, and while now lives in the North Carolina mountains he says his time here in York County was some of his best years.
He worked with York County based Warren Publishing to publish “Growing Up Army”.
Click above for full interview with the author.
Below is the full press release:
IT’S TIME TO MOVE AGAIN, KIDS! GROWING UP ARMY RECOUNTS A LARGE MILITARY FAMILY’S ADVENTURES ACROSS THE GLOBE
“National (August 22, 2023)—The Heath Brat Platoon is reporting for duty in bookstores everywhere in their joyous memoir, Growing Up Army, written by brat number three, Robert R. Heath, SR.T and published by Warren Publishing. Their mission: survive. Under the command of Sergeant Major Richard Heath, they will battle Chinese ants, race pedicabs, and travel the world. From North Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States, follow the thrilling and oftentimes hilarious exploits of the Heath Army Brat Platoon of nine in Growing Up Army.
“As a family,” says Bob (the third of nine children), “we have always had a lot of fun talking about our adventures around the world….I realized that it would be a fun and interesting family history—not only for myself and my siblings, but also for our kids, grandkids, and beyond.” Being a large family, the moves, while still difficult, were easier to deal with. The loss of friends was always a challenge, but the siblings always had each other to lean on and adventures around every corner.
Initially, Heath gathered stories from his siblings and mother in 2003. Over time, he learned more information, such as the historical events surrounding his family’s moves or their father’s time in WWII. “After gaining that information, the book was something that I had to do,” says Heath. “We hear the phrase, ‘It was a labor of love’—this book was exactly that for me.”
Heath states that there are a variety of ways to appreciate this story. “One of those is the absolute happiness [my siblings and I have] regarding the incredible, varied, worldwide experiences we had while growing up. [I’m] a member of several military brat Facebook sites, [and] this is a broadly shared feeling….It is rare to find a military brat who judges a person based on things like race, nationality, language, or religion….Finally, just as I laugh and at times shed tears of happiness every single time I re-read these stories, I hope those who read it will experience some of those kinds of feelings.”
This family’s remarkable journey and the adventures they experienced are so captivating that not documenting those stories would deprive others of the gems of this unique upbringing. At ease and enjoy your R&R with Growing Up Army!
Growing Up Army can be ordered on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, warrenpublishing.net, and asked for wherever books are sold.
