Pfc. Harold Leutheuser - World War II Veteran

In 2001 Hud and his wife Nancy gave a priceless gift to their grandchildren.  Nancy typed all the letters Hud had sent home to his parents during his basic training and war years, and Hud added present-day commentary to augment and explain the content of the letters.  The commentary, alone, illuminates the reality of life in the army - and the trenches.  Hud served in Patton’s Third Army and saw action in Germany, France and Belgium.  He was on his way to the Pacific theater when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, which spared him further combat.  Like most soldiers, Hud kept his letters light; only his recently added commentary spoke of the terror of battle.  He told his grandchildren, “...my letters for the folks at home showed no indication of what we were experiencing at the time.”  Letters from home were his lifeline, while the letters he wrote were about reassurance.

JoAnne P. Miller