Shortchanged (Paperback)

In 1951, young B.B. leaves his home in the Northern Neck of Virginia to fight in the Korean War. He grew up in a very poor home, and had to fight for everything in is life. He faces the fight of his life when he is wounded by friendly fire. Unsure if he will survive his injuries, B.B. recalls his childhood though the colorful people who inhabit his dreams. First published in 1998, this second edition is the captivating story of a young Virginian caught in the vicissitudes of America's forgotten war. Dr. Harding tells a riveting story, with a full range of emotions - from happiness with the simple things in life to fear for his life.

Dr. John H. Harding, Jr. was born in Northumberland County, Virginia. His father was a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay, and his mother taught school and was the postmaster in Lilian, Virginia. John attended Reedville High School, and graduated from the College of William and Mary. He taught school and coached basketball for one year before going into the United States Army. He served for two years. He met his wife Karen, an airline stewardess, in Seattle, Washington, in 1955. They were married for fifty-three years until her death in 2009. In 1960, he graduated from the Medical College of Virginia, School of Dentistry. He returned to Northumberland County, and practiced for thirty-one years before retiring. John worked on a dairy farm as a boy, and wanted to have a small herd. He gave his wife five pregnant cows for her birthday one year. His herd now consists for ten cows and a bull. John was encouraged by his wife, Karen, to write the tales he was always telling her. It was her encouragement that led him to write stories that reflect life in rural America in the last century. His books have captured the voices of remarkable people, whose voice otherwise would have died with them. John is currently working on a book about cows.