S Paul Klein

Accidents of Time and Place S Paul Klein

The time is the mid-1950s, the place is Washington, D. C. Hector Collin has survived World War II served heroically in Korea, and after ten years of soldiering returns to civilian life. The men and women who went from peace to are trying to pick up their old lives without losing what they have gained. Hector emerges as a spokesman for them. That brings him to the attention of people and organizations with questionable motives, including congressional inquires into "un-American activities." In a hearing on Capitol Hill, Hector challenges the members of the investigating committee, and finds himself again a hero, but at the same time, an outcast. Now his actions bring consequences that threaten the peace he has found. Redemption comes when Hector realizes he can no longer live his life relying on accidents of time and place. Both the man and the story find resonance in today's world. Hector is a man who meets challenges without thinking of the consequences. He is a hero, but an accidental one.