A World War II Story

About the Book

Mom saved all of Dad's letters and pictures that she received from Dad while he was in the military service during WW II.

She passed them down to her children before she died in 1999. The authors felt that this book would be a wonderful legacy for their family and for their future generations. For the general public this makes good reading because his letters represent a typical soldier's life and feelings during this difficult time. These are Dad's original, personal letters to Mom, full of love for her and his baby daughter. You will read them in his own handwriting.

The authors present their father's letters in the order that they were written. They reveal the hopes, the fears and especially the dreams of all men and women who serve in wars. When reading these letters, you sense that you are looking over his shoulder as he writes, feeling what he is feeling.

About the Author

Elaine Pelletier was born January 24th, 1943 the same year Dad went into the army. She graduated from Berwick High School, Berwick, Maine in 1960, and later received her diploma in Nursing from the New Hampshire Vocational Technical College (Exeter School of Practical Nursing) in 1962.

Elaine was employed as a Licensed Practical Nurse in College Health at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH for thirty years and retired in 2004.

During her career she was elected and served on several state and national professional Boards: The New Hampshire Licensed Practical Nurses Association, The National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN) and the NFLPN Education Foundation Board.

In 1995 Governor Stephen Merrill appointed Elaine to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing where she served for three years. This is her first time as an author and felt strongly that this story should be told.

Elaine has been married for 42 years to Arnie Holland, and they now reside in Rochester, NH and Zephyrhills, FL.

They have two children: Christine A. Mallahan of South Berwick, Maine

and Rodney A. Holland from Gilmanton Iron Works, New Hampshire. They also have three grand-daughters who never knew their great grandfather, and Elaine felt that this book would be a wonderful legacy for them and future generations.

Norman J. Pelletier was born on December 3rd, 1946, a baby boomer. He graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, NH in 1964. Four years later, he graduated from Saint Francis College in Biddeford, Maine with a Bachelor’s degree in English. His graduation was the culmination of a dream that his father had since Norman was born.

After teaching for one year at Marshwood High School, Eliot, Maine, he served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War from May, 1969 to near the end of the war. During this time in service, he earned his Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Central Michigan University. He earned one credit at a time as professors traveled to the air force base each week-end and Norman and his classmates studied after work hours. After 30 credit hours, he earned his degree in February, 1973, shortly before his separation from the service.

Norman earned an Honorable Discharge from the service in May of 1973 and he immediately found employment as a teacher of English and French at Gorham High School in Gorham, Maine. While he was Principal at Machias High School, Machias, Maine he earned his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Administration from the University of Maine, Orono, Maine in 1979. He later worked as a teacher and Vice Principal in the Maine communities of Buxton and Sanford. He retired as a public school educator in 1998. Since then he has taught French, Spanish and various English courses at Elan School, a private school in Poland, Maine. He is married to his wife of 37 years, Joan Vincent Pelletier, and they have resided in Gorham, Maine for 33 years. They have two children: David Pelletier of Portland, Maine, and Lori Pelletier Benham of Concord, North Carolina. They also have seven grandchildren. Norman is also a first time author.