The small town of Jacksonville, AL and neighboring Fort McClellan form the backdrop for Songbird and The War Song Series. During World War II, Fort McClellan brought the world to this small corner of east Alabama in the form of soldiers from all over the nation and German POWs from half way around the globe, both of which would touch and change forever the lives of Ava Stilwell and her family.
Members of the odious German Army were only seconds from him. He leaned forward in his seat, expecting to see the cartooned images of severe German men leap into real life before him. Instead, he was shocked to see lines of young, haggard men, many younger than himself, march past him listlessly. Their faces seemed homesick and tired, and they looked more like overworked school boys than superior German war machines.
“You’ll get used to seeing them around,” the lieutenant said, and Carson realized with embarrassment that he was half hanging out of the jeep to look at them. “We’ll have at least 3,000 of them before the month is up.”
Songbird, Chapter 21