Featured WWII Love Letters To Helene

Happy Valentine's Day. I spent a lot of time researching the four people involved in Helene's letters. I will start with the one letter from Sam. Sam has a very common surname, so I could not find anything out about him.

Dick had an interesting life. He was born 6-19-20, pasded away 9-26-10. He was a Lieutenant in the Navy during WWII. He was from the same area as Helene and Herman, grew up there. He had a BA from Ursinus College, and a Masters from Clark University. He then received an electrical engineer degree from RPI and was employed by General Electric in Syracuse NY. He was stationed in Rhode Island when he was writing to Helene, and he married a woman named Marion from Newport RI on 9-9-47. They had two daughters, Barbara and Marjorie. They were married until death parted them.

Herman was a PFC in the US Marine Corp during WWII. He was drafted in 1940. His letters were sent from various places on the East Coast, many from Cherry Point SC, some from RI. He was born 10-22-23, died 4-15-85. I don't know if he was stateside during the war. He worked for a railroad company after the war.


Now to Helene. She lived to age 94, passing away on 12-7-18. Her father was from Spain, her mother from NY. She lost her parents at an early age and was raised by two aunts. She worked as a reporter for a local daily newspaper (hence her love of writing.) Her obituary states "she married the love of her life, Herman." I found their marriage license, which was issued on 9-9-47. They had two children, a son named Bradlee (born 1948) and a daughter Iris (born 1950). Both children are now deceased. I could not find Bradlee's obituary, so I don't know if he had children. I did find Iris's. She was 71 when she passed on 12-1-22. She had a daughter, Romina, who passed before she did at age 56, not married, no children. She had a son, Thomas, who passed shortly after she did at age 55 in 2023. Thomas had two children, and after researching them, let me just say I can see why the letters ended up where they did.

I found a few pictures. The best resource I found after Googling was Find A Grave. It's where I found the copy of their marriage certificate. This is the one picture I found of Helene; I used an app that applies a youthful appearance to see what she may have looked like when she was writing to the service men.
Helene older

Helene using youth app

Iris, their daughter

Iris's son, Thomas

Iris's daughter, Romina

Bradlee's grave stone.

Helene and Herman's grave stone

 

Aww. A bittersweet ending. Herman was the one. So sad he died so young.

 

@Marko What a lovely tale! Thank you for all you did to research the people involved and build this little, sweet history. It surprised me that I became so vested in hearing the outcome, it gives me insight into what compelled you to search beyond the letters themselves. You have given recognition to the lives they lived and the love they shared.
Yay! Hermie! True love wins!
Happy Valentines Day!

Linda

 

So glad that Hermie and Helene ended up together, although I will admit to being skeptical that they would.

 

Just a minor point. I was thinking that the Cherry Point Hermie write from was the base in North Carolina.

 

I just had an idea! Maybe you could find a picture of Herman at an old high school yearbook site.

 

I found a stack of letters behind an apartment building one day. They were mostly to a woman from three different guys. Two of them were incarcerated. Included were a few letters she had written to one of the guys, so they must have ended up together at some point. Details were included about the men's crimes, their legal problems, life in prison, and other sordid details. There were conversations about the woman's pregnancy and conjecture about who the father may be. Needless to say, it paints a completely different picture than the letters to Helene.

I found the letters fascinating. I always felt they would make the seeds of a compelling play or movie. Given my very different background from the people involved, I don't think I would be the one to write it. I kept the letters and they are packed away somewhere. I need to find them and do something with them at some point.

 

I tried. Even asked a seller on ebay if he was in their yearbook....no luck.

 

Yes, you are correct!

 

My parents retired to a town quite close to the NC base and had friends who had access to the Officer's Club.

 

"I spoke to a Rabbi about tattoos & she said things change with time"... ha ha ha !!!!!

We thank them all for their service !!

 

I ran into a guy in the grocery once with dogtags and military IDs all over his arm. They were all guys who made it back Stateside but didn't last long. (PTSD casualties) Military tattoos are often a way to show affiliation or loyalty to your friends. Somehow I doube G-d minds 'em much! People who went in-country in Afghanistan often had their service ID tattoed onto their chests, just in case so they could be IDed if an IED decided to get really shirty.

 

Yay! They did marry!
Happy dance!!

Thank you @Marko for posting these letters, and telling us about their lives!

 

Reviewing the marriage license, it is noted at the bottom they were married in Sacred Heart Rectory on September 13, 1947. Helene got her wish...I guess Herman may have converted to Catholicism for her.

I anyone wishes to find out more info about them and see more records, start a private conversation with me. Maybe someone could find a picture of Herman, especially when he was younger.

 

@evelyb30 my husband & both kiddos was & 1 still is in military intelligence. Neither were to see combat & were supposed to be in a safe area. However my eldest was in a humvee that hit an ied & 1 perished. He wound up with a severe TBI & broke his neck & now a full blown epileptic. His physical injuries for the most part are healed the trauma & ptsd will always remain. My other one had his post attacked & his battle buddy is the one who took him out. So when the Rabbi told me we change with times & circumstances it made so much sense. I consider myself one of the luckiest parents as mine came home. I am forever grateful for that & it puts a whole new perspective on life.

 

Permanent epilepsy..eek. That's what the "rear" was like over there I'm afraid. There wasn't one.

 

I already found them earlier today and I'm slowly but surely looking for a picture of Herman.

 

I am sure you could find them with the info I provided. I didn't provide their surnames for privacy's sake, but some sleuths could figure it out.

 

I am so sorry to hear this, but I am glad they are back home.