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Veterinarian writes of war
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Donald K. Allen is a Boardman veterinarian, but he’s also the author of “Tarawa: the Aftermath” and is among many local authors whose work has been highlighted by groups at the public library. He recently spoke at the Austintown library.
BOARDMAN
A house on the corner of Maple Drive and Market Street looks more like a house than a veterinary practice, and upstairs it looks more like a research center with World War II artifacts and books than a veterinary practice.
Donald K. Allen is a Boardman veterinarian, but he’s also a writer and is among many local authors whose work has been highlighted by groups at the public library.
Last month, Friends of the Austintown Library invited Allen to discuss his book “Tarawa: the Aftermath,” which is about what followed the three-day battle in the WWII Pacific Theater.
“I like talking to groups about writing the book,” Allen said.
The library’s “Friends” support groups work with many local authors, said Janet Loew, communications and public relations director for the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.
“We get flooded with requests from local writers,” Loew said.
Because of that, the library has an annual program for local authors. This year, the Friends of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will bring together local authors, musicians and artists in the Poland Library from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 30.
“We do carry local authors on library shelves and that goes through our book selection committee. ...We do purchase books from local authors if they meet our criteria,” Loew said.
Allen is one of those authors. He said “Tarawa,” which was first published in 2001, tells a “whole new story.”
“After I published it, I started a companion website and add to it fairly often. It’s a living book,” he said. The online address is tarawatheaftermath.com.
Allen said he didn’t plan to be a writer. When he joined the Air Force, he asked to be placed into medical training based on his test scores.
“Instead, they assigned me to be a military journalist. It turned out to be really super. I learned how to type better and learned spelling, editing and what it’s like being a historian,” said Allen, who served in active duty from 1967 to 1971 and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve in 2010.
Allen said he touches on some of his biographical details during library presentations, but mostly he brings slide shows and videos about his visits to Tarawa and his research process. The materials include information on Allen’s work helping to find Americans missing in action from the Battle of Tarawa and Battle of the Bulge.
“There usually aren’t many questions because I try to be so thorough during the presentations,” he said.