War Stars - May 1945
During WWII, flags were displayed by families with loved ones in the service. The gold star became an all too familiar symbol of grief in each community.

A Special Mother's Day - May 1945
On May 7, 1945 the German surrender was signed at the headquarters of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in Reims, France. The following day, President Harry Truman officially proclaimed "Victory in Europe Day", or V-E Day. Private Art's mother began to breathe a little easier when the she heard the news.

A Soldier's Valentine - February 1945
A tattered Valentine was among Private Art's collection of letters. It reveals that the home front had its share of wartime casualties, and the wounds would take a long time to heal.

Scenes From A Soldier's Camera - December 1944
Private Art took some memorable pictures of his friends and the war scenes around him with a camera his family sent in December 1944.

Yank Magazine - The Army Weekly - December 1944
Private Art and other GI's relied on publications like YANK, the U.S. Army's weekly magazine, to stay informed of news about the war and home.

Ernie Pyle's Columns - September 1944
Pvt. Art's mother saved many of Ernie Pyle's columns, including his last in the European Theater.

"All My Love, Barbara" - July 1944
A key, an old photograph and a tattered letter provide clues to a brief relationship between an American soldier and a young English girl over 55 years ago.

Mary Pranger's Calendar - September 1943
The calendar image that appears throughout our Letter Archive is based on an actual item owned by Mary Pranger, Pvt. Art's mother. She used it to keep track of events regarding her soldier son.

Joan Pranger's Paint Book - 1944
This paint book belonged to Joan Pranger, Pvt. Art's sister, in 1943. Carefully inscribed on the inside cover are the words " Mary Joan Pranger, St. John School, Grade 7."

Pvt. Art's Furlough Book - December 1943
The Army had its methods to inform, warn and convey the "I Told You So" type message. This booklet was given to Pvt. Art when he was a young recruit.

Contributions From Others We've met a lot of great people since we first started our project, many of whom have shared their stories with us. These are just a few of the items we have received, and we'll continue to add more in the future. Normandy Revisited - June 2002 The following is a contribution, "The American Cemetery", by Jason Honeycutt grandson of Darrell Honeycutt a fellow 86th Chemical Mortar Battalion comrade of Private Art. The following photos are from the Honeycutt's trip to Normandy and the 2002 reunion. Edmond Duplantier - February 2000 Edmond Duplantier is another of Private Art's faithful former Company A comrades. He lives in New Orleans - the same home town listed in the 86th Chemical Mortar Battalion Battalion History assembled fifty plus years ago. He has graciously let us use several of his keepsakes to portray another episode in the company's history including a notable visit to Stone Henge near Salisbury England. Finding Captain Pitt - January 2000 Discover how the wonder of the Internet brought Private Art closer to one of his personal war heroes. An 86th Reunion - September 1999 Darrell Honeycutt was one of many surviving 86th Chemical Mortar Battalion members who was deeply disappointed when Hurricane Floyd caused the postponement of their annual reunion. He shares his thoughts and photos with all of us in lieu of that event. Darrell Honeycutt - August 1999 Darrell Honeycutt, former member of the Communications team of Company A, shares his WWII experiences with the world. The Hit Parade - May 1998 Don't miss these downloadable samples of music from the WWII era courtesy of RETRO. These tunes are always a favorite of our friends who visit the site. The Bulge Bugle - originally published May 1995 This first-hand account of the Battle of the Bulge was sent to us by Harold Fischgrund, 86th Chemical Mortar Battalion, Company C. A Small World - March 1999 Tim Roop sent us an interesting story about his own WWII project, and how he and Brian Jones used the web to reunite folks who otherwise might never have found each other. Pranger, Ahoy - December 1998 Jeff Pranger e-mailed us to introduce his very talented father, Ed, and to point out a few coincidences in our family histories. The Canteen Drop in to our discussion forum to read additional World War II stories that others have contributed to our site, and add some of your own. Tell Us Your Story