: Peggy O'Toole Lamb
: Darling Love Letters from WWII
: BookBaby
: 9781098305666
: 1
: CHF 2.90
:
: Historische Romane und Erzählungen
: English
: 350
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
During WWII, First Lieutenant Frank J. Foster wrote letters to his wife, Catherine, who kept them hidden in a tin box until found in 2015 after her death. In his communication, Frank reveals little about the war for security reasons, rather more about his love and longing for home and family. Having lived in an orphanage, Frank yearned for his family and feared he might not return home. Still, he had a duty to his country and was determined to fight for freedom against the Nazis. 'Darling' is the captivating story of Frank and Patton's Third Army as they push the Nazis back to the Rhineland in a crushing defeat.

ChapterTwo

The U.S. Enters the War

The whir of sirens signaled lights out, shades closed. In a small bungalow on the outskirts of Los Angeles, in the darkened bedroom, a mother pinned the diaper to her baby girl’s flesh, and the ensuing cries echoed in the living room where the men gathered around the radio listening to the news. December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed PearlHarbor.

It was early in Frank’s courtship with Catherine. They were visiting her sister Mary, celebrating the baptism of her second child, Mary Nola. The father, Horace, and Frank discussed what would come after the attack. Would Frank be drafted? He was thirty-one, not yet married and no children, whereas Horace and Mary had two children and another one on theway.

Four days later, the United States declared war against the Japanese Empire. Germany immediately declared war on the United States. Within hours President Roosevelt signed the declaration of war against Germany, fully committing the country on two fronts: the Pacific theater and the European theater. Less than a week later, Uncle Sam required every healthy man from 18 to 64 years of age to register with the Selective Service to serve his country for the duration of the war, plus six months. 

Frank registered and was conscripted into the army in early 1942 and sent to Camp Callan, La Jolla for a thirteen-week training in Coastal Artillery with emphasis on long-range weapons. Gun positioning took more than eye-hand skill and brute strength. It took brains. Frank had a keen eye for shooting varmints and rattlesnakes, having lived in the desert, a sharp mind for numbers, and a competitive spirit. After a series of tests, the army yanked Frank from the rank of private and sent him to officer school in Richmond, Virginia, where he further trained for combat duty as an officer. 

Before leaving, he was sorely in need of seeingCatherine.

DearKitty,

August 24,1942

Just a short note to tell you that I am trying to get a weekend pass, and if I do, I will be in Los Angeles early in the evening Saturday. Hold both thumbs. I won’t know till Friday whether I will get it. It was sure good seeing you again, and I haven’t gotten over it yet. Love,Frank