Real Letters To and From a WWII Soldier
Every family has heirlooms and traditions passed down from generation to generation, but mine has something very special. When my grandfather was in the Army, he corresponded with a young woman who would turn out to be the love of his life: my Grandmother Grace Bauer. While they were both still with us, no one in our family had ever seen, read, or even thought that this documentation even existed! Only after my grandfather's passing did we find what would be the most exciting read of our lives. My family feels a special connection with these letters for multiple reasons, but we wanted to share them with the world. It is my sincerest hope that you take the time to get to know our family through these letters. It would be a fitting tribute to an Army Veteran as well as an honor to share these with you.
Why "Hey! Soldier"? It's actually the letterhead from the first correspondence, and it's oddly appropriate.
Navigating Through The Letters
Obviously since these are real letters, it is best to read them in chronological order. In a few instances, no envelope was available for the document, and the note wasn't dated, so my sister fit them in where she thought they were appropriate. As new letters are transcribed and uploaded, each will feature a link to this introduction as well as the previous and next letter.
When these letters were discovered in my grandfather's basement they were in complete disarray in an old moldy shoebox. After his passing, they were given to my sister who painstakingly preserved them in sheet protectors and placed them in chronological order. They were then given to my mother as a birthday gift in a two volume set.
Please join us as Private George Lutz deals with the trials and tribulations of 1942 World War II and is transformed not only in rank, but manages to court who would later become my Grandmother.
Introduction From Amy C.
Below is the introduction written by my sister in the first volume:
My brother, Richard and I found these letters in our grandfather's basement. Mom gave us permission to take them home and read them. They sat in a shoe box in my closet for almost five years before I decided it was time to find out what they said. Since the pages are 67 years old, some of them are very brittle so I put them in sheet protectors and notebooks to protect them.
These letters are from my Grandmother (Grace), my Great Grandmother, my Great Grandfather, and my Mother's Uncle Gene (George's Little Brother). They were all written in 1942 when my Grandfather was in the Army and stationed in Georgia. They tell a story of a different time period when gas and sugar were rationed and there were frequent blackouts as well as air raids sirens going off throughout the town. Most importantly, they tell a story of two people in love and engaged to be married. They face struggles as they are separated by a war and are advised by my Great Grandparents as to their upcoming marriage.
I really enjoyed reading these letters and getting to know my Grandparents a little as they were before they got married. I just wish we would have found more, especially from Grandpa (there are only two from him, the rest are all to him).
I present these books to you, Mom, for your birthday. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Love, Amy
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