My father's recently discovered World War II letters and photographs give us an unusual, if not unique account of a soldier's life during his 3 1/2 years in the Army Air Forces. In hundreds of letters to my mother, Hildreth (Hillie) Cass, he gave lively accounts of daily life full of detail, often humorous. He wanted to share his experience as best he could in the absence of telephone, let along Sametime. My parents’ correspondence spanned his training, commissioning, and service at US training fields, and eventually service in the Pacific supporting bomber groups based on the island of Guam.

During the war, soldiers desired letters from home as much as they did food and shelter. Knowing my father’s craving for letters, my mother found time on most days of child rearing and household management to write him with news from home and other matters. In his return letters, one can almost hear her voice through his faithful responses to news, questions, and requests. His clear, lively writing style propels the narrative and captures his daily routines and work with B-29 crews, other officers, and the photo lab staff for which he was responsible. The story is in his own words, except for my prologue, introductions, and epilogue.

I invite you to explore the tabs at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!