Dear Edith, Harry and Robert,
Hello folks, how are things going in your part of the country? I have been a little lax in writing and I hope you will forgive me. So many people have written to me it has been almost impossible to get around to answering the letters. I am getting along, Edith, in fact, I am leaving this hospital today or tomorrow, I believe. I have been placed on the alert, which means you may be shipped at any time. Don't ask me where, for your guess is as good as mine. I went all through France, all the way to Metz and was blown out of three armoured cars while making the advance. We were doing spearhead reconnaissance for the Third Army (General George Patton) and it was quite rugged. I am very thankful to be alive and also lucky. Take my word for it, on the front line everyone prays, including the so called unbelievers. There are many things I will never forget, for quite a few of the boys I trained with are gone. I hope we win the peace intelligently so that the havoc of war will not be experienced by the coming generation. Tell Robert I think of him quite often. I suppose he is getting pretty big. I'll see him one of these days, I hope. Tell Harry I was asking for him, this is one letter that I can't say, "wish you were here." I'll let you know my new address as I arrive, military secret you know. Lots of luck, and a merry Christmas to you Edith and Harry and Robert. Sincerely Jack.
P.s., Here are a couple of Francs for Robert. This is invasion money. We were given it to use as we invaded France.
I'm still trying to determine who the other letter writers were - their names were Stan, Jim, and Paul.
I think this letter from Jack expresses something dearly bought...at the huge cost of youthful innocence and the lives of his friends, so much so, that I wanted to share it with you. While Jack returned home and "recovered," he was never the same again, and was plagued for many years by his war wounds and eventually succumbed to them. His soul-felt wish for an "intelligent peace," sadly never came to pass.
18 comments:
What an incredible "time capsule" you found!! Such a treasure!
And yes....sadly it never came to pass.
This is why there is just something special about the handwritten letter. There's something about holding it in your hand and touching that paper that the soldier hunched over to record his thoughts, that traveled across the ocean, and was read by someone who loved him. It is so much more personal than a glowing computer screen. But the keyboard has connected us in new, instant ways.
War after war man has wished for peace. Prayed for intelligence and mediation and compromise. Maybe one day...
What a treasure!
Intelligent peace....that is deep and such a precious goal.
How cool to have all those old letter. And how tragic to read of his wish for intelligent peace.
What Parsley said.
I will remember this one for a long time.
we are all sad about the intelligent peace being so illusive...
What really caught my attention was how the letter writer pulled me in. I think it is a lost art. I'm not so sure our schools and parents are keeping that alive -- Even I find myself in "text" mode when I'm writing comments on my droid. But it is more than that. It is sentence structure and the use of words.
My gosh! I could really feel the pain he was feeling about the war and it's casualties. This has really touched me.
I was moved the first time I read this letter. Jack expressed himself so well. (he had beautiful penmanship, too)
Will we ever achieve intelligent peace? Not with the way this world is going.
This is quite a treasure, Iggy. Thank you for sharing it with us. *hugs*
I bet that was an interesting thing to discover with the scrapbook with the letters in it, Iggy. I find it so interesting that the "older boys" would take the time to write to people in the neighborhood; I can't imagine seeing that happen these days with the way technology is, but I bet those letters were treasured when received and news shared with fellow neighbors/friends.
I am glad Jack did return safely, but I am sorry he had to go in the first place and was so profoundly affected by his experience :(
betty
What a treasure. We know the value of handwritten letters now. No one will ever find our heartfelt emails or blog posts. No one will hold in their hands a time capsule to the past like this letter. I tend to get over emotional about these things, but that paper was in another time, another place and touched with hands that are no longer here. That man was one of "The strongest generation" . Thanks for sharing it.
What a treasure..thanks for sharing it..peace has been fought hard for many times over..and it is still illusive.
:(
Thank you for sharing this with us Iggy. It is truly a piece of our history that should be remembered by all.
just how wonderful is that?
It is so cool that you always find these amazing pieces of history. It is so incredible to get such an awesome insight into those times. Thanks for sharing!
You are right...so many came home never quite the same.
How timely to see these war letters you've posted. I've been going through some letters from the Pacific, too, and wanting to get them posted somehow. These letters are pieces of history that need to see some daylight!
Beautiful treasure; thanks for sharing!
Maybe one day... It's a shame it wasn't in his lifetime, but maybe one day we will get that peace he - and many, many others - wish(ed) for!
Wow, what a special letter to have. So many more people need to read it and think about the message.
My Grandmother always said that my Pap was never the same man again. I don't see how anyone can be...
This was a special story you shared. What a treasure to still have that letter. My goodness it gives me chills. Thanks for sharing with us.
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