I don’t have a quote to share from my father. He was a man of few words and until late in life, like other WWII veterans had little to say about his war years.

Still, he was proud of his contribution to defending our country. After serving as a fighter pilot in North Africa and Italy, he exited the military, tried his hand at civilian opportunities, but returned to the military, retiring after a quarter of a century. The military suited him. He liked the regimen, the defined roles and responsibilities, and the clear paths forward. I am no doubt my father’s daughter.

Sadly, he passed in the summer of 2017, but his memory is in large part the reason for my undertaking a work honoring the veterans of the Second World War.

As I work toward the completion of the book, I’ll share some of the things I learned along the way: interesting and little known facts about WWI and WWII, the people I’ve come to know and who have shared their stories, books I’ve read and consulted on the two wars, photos, letters, diaries, WWI and WWII memorial and celebratory events, and much more.

I hope you will find something of interest here too.

As always, I welcome comments and suggestions and your own insights on the wars and its veterans.