WWII Veteran’s Letter Inspires Us All

by Sally Matheny

WWII Veteran Charles H. Walker

Three weeks before D-Day, WWII Navy sailor, Charles H. Walker wrote a letter to his mother. 

No matter how big or small we think our contribution is in life, this WWII veteran's letter inspires us all to give our best.

(excerpt):

May 14, 1944

“Dear Mother,

I will write you a few lines tonight to let you hear from me. These few lines leave me in good health and getting along fine. I hope you are well.

Mother, I think of you and Dad a lot these days and would like to very, very much see you. Of course, I don’t think it will be as long as it has been until I’ll be back in the states. Not for good, but for a leave, I hope. I think of the rest of the family, too. Of the little girls and of Sis. I know that it will be one more happy day for me when I do get home.

Right now, I’m going to do all I can to get this war over with. My part is only a small one, but I’m proud I can do it, and I’m going to do it as best I can.

Mother, I’ve been in the Navy fifteen months now. And I’ve never been on report or had any extra duty or anything yet. I’m going to try and have my record as clean as if I stay in for 15 years. It’s just as easy to do it right as it is wrong. . .” 

    

                                                                             Good night, Mother. 

                                                                             Your Son, 

                                                                             Charles

Charles Walker served as the senior electrician on the U.S.S. LCF #27. When he wrote this letter at age twenty-two, he thought his role in the war was small.

I disagree.

If the electricity failed, the sweeping for mines came to a halt, the rockets did not launch, and more lives would have been lost. 

Every person on board had a job to do. Whether it was sweeping for mines or sweeping the deck, it all mattered. Doing it well mattered even more.

Charles decided, regardless of the significance of his job, he planned to give his best. He persevered through many monotonous days at sea. Occasionally those days were punctured by kamikaze pilots. The force of one plummeting plane was so close the sailor's pants tugged against his legs.

Later, as the crew fished the Japanese pilot out of the water, Charles found the method of death, for such a young man, unsettling.

A similar empathy came when he observed the frightened German POWs on the shores of Normandy. Charles said many were his age or younger. He felt sorry for them because they looked terrified.

Charles stressed the necessity of America's involvement in the war. He was proud to serve his country and help the oppressed. He realized most of the Japanese and German soldiers were simply following orders, like everyone else in the war.

Thank you and Happy Veterans Day

Some of Charles' days were exhausting, stressful, and lonely. Other days, not so much. But he still longed for home.

He would see the American flag rise at Iwo Jima and serve until February 1946 before heading home for good.

And he was right. It was “one more happy day” when he reunited with his family!

It’s not an easy job serving in the military, especially if you’re far away from the people and the country you love.

I salute Charles Walker, who is still persevering and giving his best at age 95. I wish a Happy Veterans Day to him and all the veterans who chose to serve honorably, or quoting Charles, they did it the "right way.”

Veterans, whatever you consider a “small part” in service to our country, I consider it monumental.

Thank you.

The National D-Day Memorial: Clearly a Worthwhile Journey

by Sally Matheny

The National D-Day Memorial

The fog on June 5 of our family vacation, reminded me of another foggy June 5.

Our trip to Virginia, in the summer of 2015, began on a sunny note, but quickly immersed under thick clouds and drizzling rain. 

The dreary weather lounged with us almost every day in the Shenandoah Valley. 

The day of our departure was June 5. That morning the dense fog that had lingered all week rose just above the treetops. The rain ceased. Wondering if we could squeeze in an activity before checking out. we raced to the chairlift located on the property. By the time we reached the top, the weather had changed. The only view to behold was a veil of dense fog.

We decided we might as well head home. As we descended the mountain, I thought about how thick clouds caused problems on another June 5. 

Originally, WWII’s D-Day invasion of Normandy, France was scheduled for June 5, 1944. 

However, British meteorologists said the weather would not permit a successful invasion. Although it was sunny on June 4, Eisenhower trusted the meteorologists and wisely postponed the invasion until June 6.

Massanutten Ski Resort in Virginia

On our way home, I noticed the National D-Day Memorial was a thirty-minute detour from our route. Usually, the GPS is set for home and there are no stops except for the essentials—gas, food, and restrooms. But this year, we chose to deviate from our set ways.

By the time we reached Bedford, Virginia blue skies welcomed us. The admission tickets purchased at the Welcome Center included an optional guided tour. 

At first, we thought the price was a bit high. However, after discovering it is a non-profit and does not receive federal or state funding, we deemed it reasonable.  By the end of our visit, we all thought the D-Day Memorial was clearly a worthwhile journey.

Commemorating Christmas in Bastogne 1944--Book Review of No Greater Valor

     by Sally Matheny

     

No Greater Valor commemorates
Christmas at Bastogne

      Seventy years ago, German troops outnumbered and surrounded the US troops in Bastogne, Belgium. Hopes of a silent night diminished. However, not only did the U.S. troops hold fast to their faith and courage, they witnessed divine miracles that Christmas. They held Bastogne.

     

     Dr. Jerome Corsi, author of six New York Times best-selling books, extensively researched numerous WWII resources including military documents, personal diaries and letters. The result of his research is his latest book, No Greater Valor: The Siege of Bastogne and the Miracle That Sealed Allied Victory.”

     

     “Battles are won by military power, but wars are won by spiritual power,” said William Arnold, the WWII US Army chief of chaplains.

    

     Dr. Corsi, intrigued by how the Siege of Bastogne was “won by a small group of American soldiers who largely believed in God in accordance with the Judeo-Christian traditions,” wrote No Greater Valor for a number of reasons, which he shares in a lengthy but enlightening introduction. He asks, “Is it possible to make the case, even today that the faith of those who fought at Bastogne invited God to play a direct hand in how the battle turned out?” Then, Corsi sets out to make that case.