Great-Great Grandma Tell Us Your Story

A Humble Project Between a Father and Daughter

In 2022 I was attending a meeting in Washington D.C. and was fortunate enough that my wife and daughter were able to come too. Cara, at the time 6 years old, enjoyed a beautiful fall day exploring and was exposed to a father who wanted her to absorb the wisdom that a thoughtful understanding of history provides - that is a humility of conscience and thankfulness of spirit. One might think that it too much for such young a person - and you are right and, perhaps, wrong. In some sense we are all too young for the gravity of history. In some other sense we must not be. And as any parents of a precocious six-year-old will tell you, they understand far more than is assumed. It is with that in mind that she and I have started a project to attempt to see a bit of history.

She has two great-grandfathers who served in the second world war (and a grandfather who served in Vietnam). We have history from one in their own writing - and in a book - and we may conclude this project with that story. And while we are blessed to have that, this is a different story. This project is about his mother. She, Cara’s great-great grandmother, saved each and every letter from her son and each and every notice from the War Department.

Over the next few years we plan to transcribe and published each as on the date they were postmarked. The reader can then wait to see when, and if, the next arrived. I assume I can only imagine a taste of the anguish that my Great-grandmother had while waiting for each letter. This project obviously cannot replicate what that would be like - but maybe it can be a humble project between a father and daughter.

We will publish the first one as a bit of practice using the platform and to send to friends - but then will publish each subsequent letter as they are post marked. The first letter is in November 1942, the last years later.

Cara is quite commercial minded, and she liked the idea of having a YouTube Channel - as some of her friends have - but I was opposed to that idea. We came to an agreement that we’d turn on the pay feature but (1) all the letters will be fully in public view and (2) any ‘donations’ received would be placed in a college fund.

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