Stephanie Dostie, left, and her daughter Bayleigh Dostie, 9, from Fort Campbell, Ky., and Christy Young, from Fort Drum, N.Y., visit the grave of Dostie's husband, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Shawn C. Dostie, who died serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, Monday, May 25, 2009, on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP)

Stephanie Dostie, left, and her daughters Bayleigh Dostie and Christy Young visit the grave of Dostie's husband, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Shawn C. Dostie, who died serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, Monday, May 25, 2009, on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. (AP)

Memorial Day

A new book paints a devastating picture of life for American veterans returning from war. “Soldiers From The War Returning: The Greatest Generation’s Troubled Homecoming from World War II” interweaves the stories of three families whose soldiers were, as the phrase goes, never the same after the war, and the effect that had on their families. Author Thomas Childers joins us for a Memorial Day conversation. Childers is professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania.

Cowboy Churches

The preachers wear Stetsons and cowboy boots and the faithful – often in their hundreds – gather around open wagons in stables and rodeo arenas to hear them. BBC Correspondent Kevin Connolly visits Lawton, Oklahoma to discover why The Cowboy Church is thriving in the Old West.

Steve Brill on the News Business

The man who launched Court TV and American Lawyer Magazine thinks he has an idea that might save the newspaper industry. Steve Brill wants to create a one-stop destination for news that would charge users.

The Story Behind ‘Lili Marlene’

The song, “Lili Marlene,” was a German song written during World War I — but it took on new life during World War II. And soldiers on both sides of the war loved it. Authors Liel Liebovitz and Matthew Miller explore the song’s history in their book, “Lili Marlene.” We first aired this story when the book came out.

Listen to different versions of ‘Lili Marlene‘

Music from the show

Jeff Beck, “Suspension”
Blonde Redhead, “Melody”
Lale Anderson “Lili Marlene”, lyrics by Hans Leip, music by Norbert Schultze
Chappie D’Amato “Lili Marlene”
Anne Shelton “Lili Marlene”

http://hereandnow.org Lydia Bare

Dear NPR

What a wonderful piece on the origins of this song. My dear beloved mother (a proud Macedonian from Yugoslavia)taught me the song when I was just a little girl. She learned it from hearing it sung by soldiers who marched in Skopije, Yugoslavia during the 30′s. The song always evoked memories of her father and brothers as well. There were times before my mother’s death where I would pull out the Marlena Detrick album and play Lili Marlene for her. She always shed a quiet tear. She earned it for her years as a displaced person during the war years and later as a mother of a Viet Nam Vet.