A Note From Rose Andrea, thank you for your suggestion of a site map. This is one of the features we are going to add to the site this year. Initially our project began in December 1997 as a small site, featuring a few of our favorite letters. However, it has grown by leaps and bounds since then, thanks to the wonderful feedback from people just like you.

A Note From Rose Jayne, I understand your frustration. The war affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways. In our case, Art didn't talk about the war all that much with our kids. Of course, we have seven children altogether... so when he did decide to talk, he never bent any one ear for too long :-). It wasn't until we started this project that we realized how truly valuable his experiences were to others, and vice versa. It's important to share these stories while our veterans are still with us. Is your mother online? If she is, you would be surprised at the number of veterans online she can 'connect' with. If not, perhaps you can print out some of the stories you find at our site and give them to your mother to read. Conversely, why not have your mother write down some of her stories and send them to us for others to share. I'm by no means a therapist, but perhaps this will help.

Anyhow, I'l Choose P. Roosvelt, being a Polio Victim myself, I can easly relate to what kind of "person" He most have being, in order to notwithstanding the Polio, became such transcendental figure in World History. I was 10 months old, when I had Polio; my parents took me to Warm Spring Ga. for medical attention. I lived there for more then 5 or 6 years...I was there when he died; that day, my parents arrived form Mexico to visit me,(wich they did once or twice a year, we lived in México and it was war time), so I've learned from them, what I've seeing latter in movies or TV; the Love and extraordinary relationship that American People had for Him... for their President...I allways say that a live thanks to Him having Polio and being President of U.S.A., because of that, He founded what became the greatest Hospital world wide,and through Polio History, for Polio Victims... Patricia Garza México.
Patricia Garza <garzamaya@hotmail.com>
México, D.F. México - Thursday, January 21, 1999 at 14:30:36 (EST)

A Note From Rose Private Art is a big fan of Ernie Pyle as well. We have a special section of our site where we keep all of Art's Ernie Pyle memorabilia. The clippings were saved from our local newspaper by Art's mother, Mary Pranger, and have survived to this very day. Pyle's writings truly served as a lifeline between the men on the front and the families back home.

Don Pageler
Survivor
Donald W Pageler <donpageler@earthlink.net>
Westminster, CA USA - Tuesday, December 29, 1998 at 02:07:56 (EST)

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

During the actual attack on the USS Liberty I was in the "Research Spaces"- below decks and saw none of the action. I could hear the bombs explode and the rockets as they would penetrate 2 or 3 bulkheads before they detonated inside the ship. As the ship radios were my responsibility I concentrated on ensuring that an SOS got transmitted. Since on their first strafing run the Israelis had concentrated on destroying all of our transmitting antennas, my radiomen were stringing new long wires during the attack. In retrospect we found that we had succeeded in getting an SOS to the Sixth Fleet but no assistance was forthcoming of which more later.

I was one of the fortunate ones, that torpedo detonated less than 10 feet from me but the explosion wrapped a steel bulkhead around me shielding me from the full force of the explosion. The twenty years accumulation of paint on the bulkhead also exploded under the intense heat and every square inch of my exposed skin was covered with burned paint. Since my condition was not critical I was med-evaced to the USS America. There excess burned paint was removed and my eyelids were lanced open having been seared shut in the explosion.

After I could again see, Radm Geis requested my presence in his cabins. He told me that since I was the senior Liberty survivor on board he wanted to tell me in confidence what had actually transpired. He told me that upon receipt of our SOS aircraft were launched to come to our assistance and then Washington was notified. He said that the Secretary of defense (Robert MacNamara) had ordered that the aircraft be returned to the carrier which was done. Radm Geis then said that he speculated that Washington may have suspected that the aircraft carried nuclear weapons so he put together another flight of conventional aircraft that had no capability of carrying nuclear weapons. These he launched to assist us and again notified Washington of his actions. Again MacNamara ordered the aircraft recalled. He requested confirmation of the order being unable to believe that Washington would let us sink. This time President Johnson ordered the recall with the comment that he would not embarrass his allies. This is, to the best of my ability, what I recall transpiring 30 years ago.

David E. Lewis
Lt Commander (at time of attack)
c/o Donald W Pageler <donpageler@earthlink.net>
Westminster, CA USA - Tuesday, December 29, 1998 at 02:07:56 (EST)

Thank you!!!
Dennis Johnson <djohnson34@earthlink.net>
Gilroy, CA USA - Thursday, December 10, 1998 at 22:53:33 (EST)

A Note From Rose A good place to start your search would be the official Roy Rogers - Dale Evans web site. As a sidenote, we were indeed saddened at the passing of Roy Rogers, a hometown hero, in 1998. One of his favorite Cincinnati stories was that the city plowed down his birthplace to build Riverfront Stadium in 1970. As a matter of fact, he claimed his home once stood right where second base is. So, baseball legends Johnny Bench and Pete Rose uprooted the bag, autographed it, and sent it to him.

If anyone could possibly point me in the right direction, I'd like to continue my search. Kind regards, Alan Harris
Alan Harris <Alan.j.Harris@btinternet.com>
UK - Friday, December 04, 1998 at 23:52:38 (EST)

My wife and I often think how lucky we were to have not had to go through the war, or to have to have lost loved ones during the war.(this of course is trrue for any war, not just WWII). great web page, unfortunately I have to go back to work, I hope I'll find it again. Best wishes to you. Clive and Julia Fransella.
CLIVE FRANSELLA <CLIVE.FRANSELLA@ASSETWORKS.COM>
SAN ANTONIO, TX USA - Tuesday, November 24, 1998 at 09:04:06 (EST)

A Note From Rose Letters are added to our site 54 years to the day they were originally written. Look for letters written by Private Art during the Battle of the Bulge starting in December 1944.

GREAT! But then, I am a military history nut! Thank goodness for those that fought WWI and WWII! Who knows what the future brings with a draft-dodger pres and his staff of NON military clowns! Will check this out and pass on the info to toher Vets. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
DICK RUSSELL <chiefrussell@earthlink.net>
MIDWEST CITY, OK USA - Saturday, November 21, 1998 at 21:02:17 (EST)

A Note From Rose This initial guestbook entry led to an interesting exchange with Jeff, where we learned more about his very talented father, Ed, plus a few more coincidences in our family histories.

I have read every word. What a great thing to do for Private Art and to everyone that was in the war or for people like me. My Father served in the Navy in the war long before I was born. I don't think any of his letters survived. By reading Pvt Art's letters I can appreciate how alone one can feel when surrounded by thousands. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this Web site Mike Hosick
Mike Hosick <mhosick948@aol.com>
Kennesaw, GA USA - Thursday, November 19, 1998 at 18:05:56 (EST)