Stories for a Sunday Afternoon

Everyone goes by different names and wears many hats, so to speak, during his or her lifetime. The author of Stories for a Sunday Afternoon is no exception. Members of the extended family described in these stories know him as dad, grandfather, uncle, and father-in-law. Others call him doctor, captain, brother, and friend. Those no longer with us knew him by the most cherished names of son and husband. Many of the stories in this memoir include friends and family and are the product of a lifelong passion for history and genealogy. Stories for a Sunday Afternoon appeals to a wider audience for many reasons. It describes the life of a member of what has become known as “The Greatest Generation.” Like so many during the years of World War II, Dr. Mires grew up fast to serve his country. An earlier ambition to become a medical missionary came to fruition in the 1950s and 1960s through U.S. government-sponsored work in Thailand and Panama. Several stories about his foreign service not only tell of the lanky physician in pith helmet and khakis in the jungles of Southeast Asia and Central America, they relate the remote village life of his patients to larger contemporary geopolitical and social issues. Most memoirs, it seems, improve with the age of the author, which underscores the biblical phrase, “With long life is understanding” (Job 12:12). Dr. Mires has seen and experienced a lot in 90 years, from growing up the son of a country veterinarian and grandson of a wagon maker to navigating his way around Cyberspace. This man—who befriended Civil War veterans and treated the wounds of those who fought in the Pacific during World War II—shares his heartwarming and sometimes witty stories with all who care to learn from a life well-lived.