Sacred Trust

Merriam Press Historical Fiction Series. First Edition 2013. Residing in 100-year-old military quarters on board an active Naval Submarine Base, a young military wife uncovers a bygone era of Army glory in San Diego at the turn of the twentieth century. "Sacred Trust" brings the first occupants of "Officers' Row" back to life during the heyday of the former Army post of Fort Rosecrans. The forgotten soldiers had slipped silently into the shadows, only to be rediscovered, a century later. "Sacred Trust" vividly captures and seamlessly integrates the current war on terror and an historic romance between handsome West Point graduate, Captain Ernest Scott, and San Diego debutante Ella von Engel. When Ella chooses this young Army officer over her childhood sweetheart and Naval Academy graduate, Lieutenant Tom Windsor, a rivalry begins. Jealousy and tensions mount throughout their military careers, colliding in one pivotal moment of historic proportions. During an early morning, pre-deployment start-up, two boilers explode aboard the Navy gunboat USS Bennington. Clouds of black smoke and steam and the scent of death rise over San Diego's waterfront. Bodies are spewed over the length of the ship and into the harbor. The Army's role in the aftermath of the explosion is significant, and has been overlooked for one hundred years... Inspired by a true story, "Sacred Trust" is a unique story (originally developed as a screenplay) about one woman's fight to tell an Army story in a modern-day Navy town. The characters are interwoven throughout the magnificent social events that took place in San Diego at the turn of the 20th century, highlighting the beauty, elegance, and military pageantry in the city. The settings overlook the beautiful entrance to San Diego Bay, the majestic island of Coronado, and the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Men in uniform accompany ladies to formal balls at the opulent seaside resort, Hotel del Coronado. There are yachting excursions to the boardwalk at Tent City, picnics at the Point Loma lighthouse, fireworks above Glorietta Bay, Friday night hops at the new Army post ... and in an instant, the resonance of terror, and one of the deadliest peacetime disasters in the history of the Navy. The parallel stories of the Soldiers of Fort Rosecrans 1902-1905 and their successors of 2002-2005, culminate in the fulfillment of a 100 year-old historic Army/Navy promise. 106 photos, illustrations, documents (many in color).