Dan Oja grew up surrounded by uncles, aunts and cousins; steeped in the lore of the Koski family. He feels that the story of the six Koski brothers and the Koski family provides valuable insight into the soul of America. He believes their story should be told.

Dan never served in the military, but has a profound respect for those who have, including the Koski brothers and numerous members of the extended Koski family.

Dan lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his wife, June Parsons, and their dog; but his heart is in Upper Michigan. In the summers they try to spend time in their cabin on the Dead River Basin, the same body of water that was known and loved by the entire Koski family.

Dan and June own MediaTechnics Corporation, which develops computer textbooks and educational software marketed by Course Technology, a division of Cengage (formerly Thomson Learning).

Dan has worked with computers since the early days of personal computers. He is the co-author of over 150 college computer textbooks including the best-selling New Perspectives on Computer Concepts.

An experienced programmer, Dan created the BookOn digital publishing technology for MediaTechnics Corporation. This technology has been used for over a decade to deliver best-selling college computer textbooks to hundreds of thousands of students all around the world. This technology is now being used to deliver the various digital versions of Ordinary Heroes: Six Stars in the Window.

Dan also taught martial arts for many years and holds a 5th-Degree black belt in the martial art of Taekwon-Do.

If you'd like to contact the author, e-mail to:

or visit the Ordinary Heroes author’s blog at http://sixstarsinthewindow.blogspot.com/

Above: The author (right) presents James Orwig with a special reunion copy of Ordinary Heroes that has been signed by veterans and members of the Koski family. James Orwig was the platoon sergeant for the 4th Platoon of F Company of the 85th Regiment of the 10th Mountain Infantry Division. As you'll find in the book, one of the Koski brothers served as an ammunition carrier in the 1st mortar squad of that platoon.

“I am honored to have played a part in documenting the story of the Koski family, the six Koski brothers, and the men they served with.

But I am very aware that in a very real sense, I didn’t write the story—I just wrote the book.

The story was written a long time ago, in the snows of the Ardennes, in the skies over southern Europe, and in the mountains of Italy. It was written by the six Koski brothers, by the men they served with, and by the millions of Allied soldiers who sacrificed so much to win that war.

This is the story of ordinary people—ordinary heroes—who are so representative of an entire extraordinary generation.”

-Dan Oja