Author Description

"Wrapped in old newspapers, several hundred letters and V-mail cards from my father were stored in an old trunk for many years, having been moved seven times since his return from Europe in 1945. Although we had known of their existence, they were never disturbed until after his untimely death from lung cancer [in 1971] when my mother began reading through them and reminiscing about the past. In the mid-1970's she excerpted passages from the letters, being sure to leave out any personal material. She attempted, unsuccessfully, to have this collection published, and the letters were placed back in the trunk for many more years. After she passed away in 2008, I had them transcribed in their complete form for this book. My brother did an extensive background on the hospitals and the practice of medicine during World War II, finding material once classified which was now available. He contacted the families of other physicians and, as he has described, found many resources to fill in the gaps in the commentary. Many of the V-mails and letters have been lost; the remaining are assembled here in their entirety, and provide a personal view of the war through the eyes and heart of a practicing surgeon"--From the editor.