Who Do I Know That Served in World War II

As I watched Journey Back to Normandy, a special show with NBC's Brian Williams, I thought about persons I knew who had served during World War II.  A friend, two cousins and a WAC. They are all gone now but some of the men in the program who traveled to Normandy are in their nineties and remember vividly how it was seventy years ago.



 My ex-sister-in-law was in the Army during WWII and I was told, before I was part of the family, that she would often tell stories about her time over seas. Sadly, I never heard any of them. I did know she belonged to a group of women veterans who met on a regular basis in Denver. She passed away on March 27, 2003 at the age of eighty-two.



Two cousins were also in the army and they served on some Pacific island. They told stories on how they hated the hot and humid location. Aside from the enemy, their biggest fear was of getting bit by a mosquito and contracting malaria. I was too young to understand their stories of war but I do remember a black chest with silver trim filled with Japanese souvenirs of swords and knives. Both brothers are deceased.


My friend was a glider pilot who entered the war toward the end of the fighting. He trained in England but spent much of his time in Italy. I have thirty-four letters and one post card that he wrote to his parents. The letters do not say much about the war because he told me all letters were censored and all he could write about was chit-chat type of happenings.

Excerpts from his letters:  September 2, 1944 ...there are some promotions open in our outfit but since I am not a great love of the glider pilot's c.o. (a captain and a real stinker) I have grave doubts about being a boy wonder...it looks like 2nd Lt. will about cover me for the duration. September 9, 1944 ...there's quite a bit of gossip on the radio about the new movie "Wilson." The picture has been banned to soldiers on the grounds because it violates the Soldier's NATO Act. October 7, 1944 ......Dear Mom and Dad, Haven't received a letter in over a month....the war drags on and it seems as if it will last until at least next spring. January 6, 1945 ....a party for Christmas with signorinas. They don't speak English and we don't speak Italian. ...... send cheese, (Velveeta), crackers, some kind of sandwich spread, sardines, pickles, olives. You see, above things are some of the junk we don't get here and get hungry for. (Please don't include Vienna Sausages.) June 23, 1945...In Capri....all the facilities have been taken over by the army for use exclusively by air corps personnel. 

In reading the letters, I would have thought he was on a vacation in Europe but I know he was restricted from writing about what was really happening. I found it interesting that he called other pilots, "birds." They were quartered in tents and he enjoyed visiting St. Peter's Church with its statuary and mosaics by famous masters of old. July 15, 1944 he wrote, ....Italians seem extremely unsuited for war of any kind...it's odd that the Romans once had a vast war like empire.

These are four persons who served during World War II and they are all gone. If they were alive today they would be nearing one hundred years old! I am glad I have pictures and remember some of the stories. After watching the show on Normandy last night, I was quite moved by the dangerous part many played to keep our country safe and shocked at how many young men lost their lives.

"Let us pray that peace

is now restored to the 

world and that God 

will preserve it always."

Gen. Douglas MacArthur.