Local author writes about serving in the military during the Cold War

Author Patrick Roy holds his book in the Waterville Public Library. (photo by Gillian Lalime)

by Gillian Lalime

Patrick Roy was born in Waterville in 1947 and lived in the Elm City until 1965 when he joined the military. His book, Memoirs in my Everyday Life, tells readers what the day-to-day life of a soldier was back in 1965. Relatively recently, with some extra time on his hands, Roy has decided to share these stories with a broader audience. Why now? Well, he’s been wanting to do this for a long time. “I can remember things from when I was five years old.” It took Roy three years to complete and publish the book.

We all have someone in our life who is a storyteller. Perhaps an older person, a colleague, or a friend. It is another issue when that person writes down their stories to be read by people outside their immediate circle. About his book, Roy states, “My wife hasn’t read the book because she’s already heard these stories!” Patrick may have told stories from his youth dozens of times (he’s got a huge family!), but writing them down gives them a new life. The truth is that this man has been writing for decades.

When he was 16 years old, Roy would sit down and listen to his transistor radio. Every Saturday, his go-to station would give names of people who wanted to get penpals. One such individual was a young girl from England named Gail. Roy states out of the 300 people who wrote to Gail, “I was determined to stand out, so for that first letter, I wrote every other word in cursive.” Well, it worked. This youthful correspondence across the Atlantic would contribute to Patrick’s later decision to enlist in the military.

This is where Roy’s book takes you: back in time through his Army experience as an 18-year-old who enters the army directly after graduating from high school…much to his mother’s frustrations. Roy started with his training in New Jersey, went to Louisiana, then across the Atlantic to Germany, where he eventually met his pen pal on a trip to England. Roy gives readers a firsthand, day-to-day account of the life of a soldier during the Cold War. Roy recounts humor-filled and extracurricular events in addition to the strict and severe command of Army rules.

Most notable, however, is all of the shenanigans Roy and other soldiers in his company would get up to. Each chapter chronicles a different phase of training, a memorable event, or a new location where duty brought them. The book reveals themes of curiosity, fun, and, of course, if you can imagine being in the mind of a 19-year-old man in the army: girls. “There’s a lot of humor and no politics involved,” states Roy.

This book is for people who can remember living during the Cold War years. Roy says, “I was hoping people would buy these for their grandparents or someone in [my] generation who can relate. Many people say they read the book and did bring back memories!” This book, written by Roy, is intended for someone currently contemplating joining the military and seeking to discover what a day-to-day experience might be like. For the author, he reflects that his experiences as a soldier made him a better human being. “When someone serves in the military, they become a better person than if they didn’t; they learn to be disciplined.”

Roy also traveled to other countries besides England, including a few trips to The Netherlands and visited the beaches on the North Sea. He visited many places of interest and even took a hike up the Alps in southern Germany.

For more information, to connect with Patrick Roy directly, order a book, or see photos from his adventures, go to: PatrickJamesRoy.com.