During World War II virtually every young man was serving America in some capacity. High school buddies from small towns and insular neighborhoods were separated and scattered all across the country and the world, in different branches of the service.
My German-speaking grandmother (ethnic German, born in Transylvania) is sending lots of love to her youngest son, Frank. "Be yourself" is a common exhortation of hers. Her confidence in her son comes through in this phrase. As his mom, she knows if he's "true to himself" and his fine nature, he'll find success. She adds some chatty news about home and the neighbors he left behind.
A son training to fight in World War II created worry for my grandmother—praying that her son would make it home alive and unharmed. But this letter shows her heavy heart is relieved of at least one worry. Her 54-year-old husband, who has worked sixteen-hour days at hard, physical labor, since arriving in America at age 21, is finally taking it a little easier.
Frank Gartz's best friend, Frank Von Arx, writes to him from his post in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Besides the usual wry humor, this letter contains little-known information about the World War II Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. It was the first time the Japanese had invaded American soil since the War of 1812. I had known nothing about the battles of Attu and Kiska before reading this letter and looking into the history.
Like many army guys, Frank is figuring out ways to pull in some extra money. His mother sent him so much jeweler’s rouge, he’s going to sell the extra to his Cadet buddies. Perhaps it's the responsibilities he's taking on or the camaraderie of the Army Air Corps, where everyone has a job to do, but this letter demonstrates a growing maturity in this 19-year-old. He was a fun-loving, rascally high school kid who probably didn't do all he could to help his seriously over-worked parents in their janitorial business. Here is declares when he comes home, he'll show his dad "what a real son is like."