These are my Grandfather's letters. Some are written many years before he joined the war effort and underscore the difficulty of living in that time. Other letters are written from boot camp, both at Leavenworth and Camp Wolters, TX. They describe a man sometimes confident and proud of his accomplishments, and other times unsure of his place in "this man's army", as he put it. The rest of the letters, at best, hint at the plodding pace of war as he fought in France. Because of the censor's watchful eye, his letters are almost benign as they speak of simple things like wishing for hot coffee, fresh pancakes, and music. Nevertheless, they allowed me to glimpse into the heart and mind of a man I never knew. To see what our soldiers gave up to preserve the freedoms we can so easily take for granted.

My original goal was to simply put the letters on the web so they could be read by anybody with an interest. However, it has turned into a labor of love and the site continues to grow. I am continually amazed by all of those who bravely answered their country's call, and especially the brave men of the 79th Division. This site is dedicated to all those who fought and those who never came home, who lie mute beneath rank upon rank of white marble markers and other unmarked places forever known but to their god.

Time demands that more than the fallen be remembered. Let us remember not just those that lost their lives in the war but all Americans, Canadians, British, and allies who were alive, conscientious and who chose to serve as best they could. Anything written here can be nothing more than a sketch of the real. Nevertheless, it will hopefully keep the names of those who so selflessly sacrificed for our freedoms in our hearts.

Click on any of the letters below to view those listed. If you have somebody you'd like to see added, just send me an email with the details (Name, Rank, Division, Unit, Theater of Operations, Picture, etc.) and I'll see that it's added quickly.

July 6th, 2006
China's Only Normandy Survivor Awarded Legion d'Honneur

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June 17th, 2006
Wreck in Gulf of Thailand may be WW2 sub, USS Lagarto

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June 9, 2006
Marking the Site of the Führer's Bunker

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April 3, 2006
Nina Von Stauffenberg has died

Ernest Taylor Pyle (1900-1945), was a reporter, copy editor, and aviation editor until 1932, when he began to write a daily column as a roving reporter for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. He did this until the outbreak of the Second World War when he became a war correspondent. He moved to England in 1940 where he reported on the Blitz for the New York World Telegram.

His simple, warm, human writing style was widely popular, especially during World War II (1939-1945). In 1944 he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in reporting for his distinguished reports from the European battlefront. Pyle went with the US Army to North Africa in November 1942. This was followed by the invasions of Sicily and Italy. He also accompanied Allied troops during the Normandy landings and witnessed the liberation of France. By 1944 Pyle had established himself as one of the world's outstanding reporters and Time hailed him as "America's most widely read war correspondent."

In 1945 Pyle was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for journalism. Later that year he went with US troops to Okinawa. On 17th April, 1945, Ernie Pyle was killed by a Japanese sniper while on a routine patrol on 17th April, 1945.

Here you will find his many numerous columns. They are reprinted with the generous permission of the the Scripps Howard Foundation.