It is the second prize for the project, which was also named a first-place award winner in the 2007 Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association’s editorial competition.

“‘World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware’ by James Diehl provides interesting and often moving accounts of men and women who participated in World War II,” said George B. Ward, a history professor at the University of Texas and a judge for the competition. “Each chapter is essentially an interview with a southern Delaware resident, telling the story of their service and sacrifice during the war. Taken together, these engaging portraits of Delaware natives [and those who settled there], told mainly in their own words, create a powerful picture of the greatest generation.”

Featuring 50 profiles that originally ran in the Seaford and Laurel Star newspapers in 2007 and 2008, the book is published by DNB Group Inc., Diehl’s company, and is available for sale throughout the county and online at ww2-heroes.com.

In addition to writing the profiles that will become “World War II Heroes of Coastal Delaware,” Diehl is also currently working with Milford-based Watermark Productions on a documentary about the war, scheduled for release sometime this fall.

“This project honoring these wonderful men and women has been a very rewarding, yet very humbling, experience for me,” said Diehl, who is a native of Sussex County. “Every person I talk to, every experience I detail, every story I tell, is extremely meaningful. These men and women secured the freedoms we enjoy today, and I’m honored to help ensure that their stories are not lost to history.”

“World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware” can be purchased at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, at Bethany Beach Books, at the Delaware Technical & Community College bookstore, at gift shops throughout the county, at the Marvel Museum in Georgetown and at the Seaford Museum or through ww2-heroes.com.