Before the Fields of Crosses pays tribute to a man who was credited with persuading the Germans to stop the bombing of Belgrade by the Bulgarian air force, thus saving many Serbian lives. The story is told by the U.S. military officer's son.
Louis Renshaw Fortier, born at Fort Stotsenburg, Phillippine Islands in 1924, was the son of a regular army officer. Until 1937 he led the traditional life that befalls an "Army brat". He travelled and changed of schools constantly. Then his father was assigned to the French War College in Paris, and later was the U.S. Military Attache to Yugoslavia - until forced out by the invading German forces.
Until 1940, when he was ordered to leave Belgrade, he and his youngest sister lived with their parents overseas during the critical political years that preceded the war. During the war he became a cadet at West Point, and himself served as a regular Army officer for another eleven years. Upon returning to civilian life, he founded the Teren Company which does leadership development for large corporations and was a frequent guest lecturer and consultant on management. He also served on several corporate and many charitable boards.
He and his wife raised five children before she was taken by cancer. He retired from commercial life and devoted his time to charitable service. Later he remarried and now splits his time between his home in Virginia and hers in Birmingham, Alabama.