Dear Everybody...

When I returned home after being discharged from the army in September 1947, my mother gave me a carton containing all of the letters I had written home, in their original envelopes, with the pictures and other memorabilia that came with them. That carton stayed unopened for 60 years, because I never felt any compulsion to read the letters or in any way relive my army experience. In fact, this book might never have been written if it were not for that carton and for the fact that our daughter, Paula Yudenfriend Green, persisted in overcoming my resistance to being videographed with my wife, Minya, for the purpose of describing our life experiences for our progeny. The evening before we were scheduled to be videographed, I opened the box of letters, and read about ten of them. It was then that I realized the need to read all of the letters, and I began the next day as soon as the videographers had left. I was amazed at the amount of personal and American history they contained, especially since all the letters were written when I was between 17 and 19 years old. I was also impressed with their clarity and perceptiveness. Ive never been the same since I read the letters, and this book is the result. Many things contained in the book were not included in the letters. Events occurred about which I didnt write, because I didnt want to cause concerns at home about my physical condition or the potentially dangerous or ugly situations in which I was involved. I have also included clarifications and elaborations of events described in the letters that I think are appropriate to better understand the experiences which I had. After more than 60 years, I have forgotten details of some of the things that happened, and the names of people with whom I had contact, some on a daily basis. On the whole, however, I found that putting this book together was a fascinating journey, and I hope you find it so as you read it.