Honoring My Veterans

My (Leah's) sweet grandparents were dating when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. Granpy signed up for the Navy---along with his brother and friends---and went off to war. "The distance that eventually separated [them] was bridged by letters they wrote to each other." He survived the Normandy invasions (writing a coded letter home to inform his family) and fought in southern France under General Patton. Granpy and Granny married during a short furlough in 1944 and enjoyed a two-day honeymoon before he had to report back to his ship, serving the remainder of the war in the Pacific Theatre. Throughout the war, Granny "wrote regularly, building his morale and encouraging him with her informative and humorous letters" (she still writes dozens of encouraging notes every year to loved ones, in his memory). ---excerpts were taken from a family history book

All four of our grandfathers were veterans, and many other ancestors have served their countries in past wars: Korean, WWII, WWI, American Civil War, etc. Below are a couple of scanned photos.

Great-grandfather (WWI) at his wedding

A great-great uncle (marked with an "x"), just a few days before he was lost at sea.