Dear
Nebraska Public Radio:
I
read in the VERDIGRE EAGLE (newspaper from Verdigre, Nebraska) that
you are seeking war letters. I was born and raised in Verdigre, Nebraska.
After getting married, we moved to Pine City, Minnesota, as my husband
was from Minnesota.
My
brother Leo — who was in the service — lives yet in Verdigre, Nebraska.
You are asking for letters written by soldiers on the Front Line to
loved ones at home?
I
have every letter my brother sent us from Private First Class
to Corporal to Sergeant. You ask for letters of his life as a soldier.
Let me tell you that a book should be written about Leo, who is now
80 years of age.
His
letters were all censored before we got them. He never wrote as how
he lived during his time in service. He never could. We never learned
about his front line in war until about 3 years later and that was
by asking him a question now and then.
Leo
is a guy who loves everybody and is loved by everybody. He is one
to keep things to himself and not brag like some do, getting only
a scratch on the ankle and thinking he suffered in being in war.
Leo
was badly hurt at Normandy Beach. He was at the head of his buddies
and when in danger he ordered his men into dug-outs, but he had to
wait until his men were in. He remembers the guy was either in a tree
or a barn with a roof that shot him in the face. His whole face — teeth,
cheeks, were shot out and his tongue hung loose only by a ligament.
An
airplane flew to England with a plane full of wounded soldiers and
they had to put Leo under, as he just wanted to do his duty, and they
pulled him in until when the plane arrived.
He
was 17 months hurt in a hospital in England. His head was wired for
over a year. They took care of the tongue first — thinking he'd never
eat or talk again. They did correct it, but some words he can't pronounce
right. He lived on baby food through a pipe leading to his stomach
a year or more. He has dead nerves in both of his legs and on and
on.
He
said they lived like pigs, if not worse, as it rained every day and
they lived in dug-outs which were filled with rain. They even threw
away their rations because they were too heavy to carry.
And
yet for all he went through, he's happy he's alive. He suffers at
times with bad headaches and his back is very bad. He walks stooped.
He's afraid to have his back corrected because two of his buddies
had surgery and are in wheelchairs.
I
could write so much more, but you can see a picture. He fought where
he took the life of a soldier who was going towards him down a hill.
It was either one would loose his life, but he did use his bayonet.
It hurts him yet.
During
this time, he never got home to see our Daddy, failing in health,
and didn't get home for the funeral, which hurts him so. I took pictures
of the funeral and he can't see them yet as how it hurts him.
I'll
tell you a book could be written, as I have much more I still ask
of him. When he came home he had severe headaches and went for help
to a hospital in Omaha and he had to sleep in the lobby. They wouldn't
admit him as a soldier because his papers were lost as a soldier.
I don't write about that as that's another edition to the book. Ha,
ha.
His
letters were all censored so he only wrote about the weather, going
to church, maybe town, etc. and thanking for writing. When so badly
wounded he picked up an art of making rugs for all of us and some
doctors, as he said he had too — otherwise he would have went crazy.
So
read for yourself what a life my brother had in the service and yet
is happy he got home to see us all. Our prayers must have helped.
We lost a nephew also at Normandy.
I'm
so near being 89, so please excuse my writing and spelling. "My
voice is strong but my flesh is weak." Thank you for this opportunity.
Yours
truly,
Helen
Chalupnik
sister
to Leo
