World War Ii Remembrance

He was from Tennessee, and she was from Wisconsin. They would meet in 1943 at March AFB in Southern California where he was stationed in the Army, and she worked as a civilian draftsman. After their love blossomed and the romance deepened, my dad was shipped overseas to be a part of the Allies’ invasion of Europe. He eventually lands on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. It was a rough day for all who landed there, many of whom did not return home.

Like so many other young couples of that “Greatest Generation,” Brown and Helen kept their love alive through love letters. The letters were written as often as possible, and each letter was eagerly anticipated. The letters give a glimpse into their feelings without always knowing what is really going on inside their hearts and minds. As their daughter, I believe this was a true love story that endured and produced a family for the ages.

The second section of the book, letters to parents and friends, deals more with details about what was happening in the world and at home. He still couldn’t say where he was stationed. Sometimes Luxembourg, sometimes somewhere in Europe. But all correspondence comes to halt when he arrives back home and prepares for the wedding they have both been dreaming of. It took place at the first Methodist Church in Appleton, Wisconsin on Sunday, November 25, 1945.