LETTERS

A gift from May 17, 1945

Posted 2/2/22

To the Editor,

While perusing through a box marked “memorabilia” on an ordinary January Sunday morning, I noticed some things that seemed to pertain to World War II and my …

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LETTERS

A gift from May 17, 1945

Posted

To the Editor,

While perusing through a box marked “memorabilia” on an ordinary January Sunday morning, I noticed some things that seemed to pertain to World War II and my father-in-law.  I randomly picked up a letter and noticed it was dated May 17, 1945 and postmarked Camp Ramp La Havre, France.  Now I had to read it. To my complete and utter surprise, it began “Dear Noella, how are you? I suppose this will be a surprise hearing from me as an ex POW. It sure is nice to be free. I was so relieved when the Russians rolled into my camp in Barth, Germany…”

This was no ordinary letter but the first correspondence from my father-in-law after being released from Germany after being shot down nine months earlier and taken as a prisoner of war. It read as if from a teenager returning from summer camp.  I’m sure there were several reasons for this. He’s writing to a girl, who he doesn’t know is still his girlfriend.  He says he’s had no correspondence at all since he’s been imprisoned “it seems funny to write to you not knowing if your single engaged or what… I sure ache for fun dancing etc…”   Of course, my mother-in-law did wait for him and we were very aware how different things would have been had she not waited. 

Also, he talks about losing six of his crew members. “The sad part of it the fact that I lost six of my crew that day it’s hard to believe they won’t be home anymore.  Two of them were married just before we came across.”  While my in-laws were not married before he went, a different scenario would have played out had he been one of the six who did not survive.

Of course, he’s still in shock and denial upon writing this, and post traumatic has not even begun to occur.  As I read the letter aloud to my husband, tears were soon pouring down my face. While I won’t share the entire letter, just bits and pieces, I’d like to share are some of the emotions and feelings arising from finding such a treasure.

My first reaction was, “it sure was nice?”  He had shared through the years some of the horror that he endured.  The letter was jam packed with innocence, faith, love, and even humor. This was after nine months of hell, going from 180 pounds down to 75. They ate anything they could get their hands on, and sometimes were fed glass in their food (which contributed to digestive problems in his system later in life.) But in part of the letter, he tells her they are eating a lot of good food where they are and as much as they want. “They treat us swell.  Nothing to do but take it easy and eat good food again. “ Some men actually died from eating too much, too quickly.

The closest he alluded to this hell was “my super deluxe horror story will keep you enthralled and speechless for hours.  I can see your hair standing on end now.  Ha!”

The most poignant part of it for me was his faith and the fact of his mentioning it throughout. “I haven’t had a word from home since I was shot down, but I know and trust in God’s goodness to keep you well and healthy.” When he was talking about losing his crew members, he says, “I was lucky, thank God.”

And there was his humor.  He talked about having upcoming time off and says “wolf on the loose”.  He also says before he comes home, “I may see Gay Paree, these French girls wow!  I’ll be good no fooling’.” It should be noted here that my mother-in-law was a French girl, too.

We had truly uncovered a treasure, the value of which can never be measured in money.  If he had left a Renoir, it wouldn’t have meant as much.  It represents the documented beginning of our family, the end of his terror, and what he and so many others sacrificed to keep our country free.

He would suffer PTSD through the years and pass down anxiety into our DNA.  But it’s his wonderful qualities that he passed down that I will always be grateful for –innocence, humility, humor, tenacity, patriotism; and most importantly; faith, hope, and love.

Peggy Porter Quinlan

Warwick

The late John R. Quinlan as pictured before he was deployed to Europe during WWII where he was captured and held as a POW.

Letters, gift

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