War and Family: Letters Home

Lauren Muise
  • 5.0 (2)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

War and Family:Letters Home What if a letter your grandfather wrote—one you never even knew existed—suddenly turned up in the world? That’s what this podcast is about: real letters written home by U.S. servicemen and women during World War II. Each one is a time capsule, carrying the voice of someone far from home, writing from a foxhole, a bunk, a ship, or a field hospital. My mission is simple: to bring these voices back to the families they belong to—one letter, one story at a time.  And who knows? Maybe today, you’ll hear a familiar name or a place. Maybe this letter was meant for you. During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War. Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the soldiers or families, please reach out to me at warandfamily@outlook.com and help me get the letters home Visit us also on Facebook! War and Family, Letters Home https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090294016439&mibextid=LQQJ4d Thank you for listening!

  1. Sep 6

    Pvt Michael T McVeigh, US Army, 782nd Military Police Battalion

    Pvt. Michael Thomas McVeight served in the China India Burma Theater of WW2 in 782nd Military Police Battalion.  His letters home to his sister give a glimpse of a the experiences of a young man from Midland Maryland, who found himself thousands of miles from home with the job of keeping order.   History is not only found in textbooks - Sometimes, history is found in a box of old letters—written by an ordinary young man, far from home, trying to stay connected to the people he loved. Michael McVeigh’s letters give us a glimpse of his life in India, but more importantly, they remind us that behind every uniform was a son, a brother, a friend—someone whose family was waiting at home. Welcome to War and Family: Letters Home. I’m your host, Lauren Muise. Imagine sitting down in 1944 with a piece of paper in front of you, thousands of miles from home, and writing a letter to the people you love.  You don't know when they'll receive it. You don't know when you'll be home. More than eighty years later, some of those letters have found their way into antique stores, estate sales, and auctions—small pieces of history, separated from the families who once treasured them. And that's where this podcast begins. I uncover the story behind these forgotten letters— who wrote it, the family waiting for it.  My hope is simple: to honor the men and women who served during World War II, preserve their stories, and whenever possible, return their letters home.  Because these aren't just old letters.  They're voices from the past.  And somewhere out there, one of those voices may belong to your family.    Maybe this letter is meant for you.

    Pvt Michael T McVeigh, US Army, 782nd Military Police Battalion

  2. Aug 22

    PFC Wilbert E. Krieger, US Army 15th Infantry Co. K

    PFC Wilbert E. Krieger wrote his letter home to his girl Helen Ruetz on May 30, 1943.  When he wrote this letter he had no idea what the next two years would bring for him - He didn't know that within a few months he would be fighting his way through Italy. He didn't know that he would be wounded—not once, but three times, and three times went back to his unit after recovering.   Welcome to War and Family: Letters Home. I'm your host, Lauren Muise. More than eighty years ago, members of the Greatest Generation sat down with pen and paper to write home. They never imagined those letters would survive long after the war had ended. Yet some did. Today, they surface in antique stores, estate sales, and auctions—small pieces of history, separated from the families who once treasured them. That's what this podcast is all about—honoring the men and women who served during World War II and reuniting their letters with the families who once cherished them.  Maybe this letter is meant for you.

    PFC Wilbert E. Krieger, US Army 15th Infantry Co. K

  3. Aug 2

    Cpl Homer Harry Johnson, US Army

    Please join me to hear the story of Cpl Homer Harry Johnson, A young immigrant family’s son. A delivery driver. A soldier who served his country despite losing an eye. A husband and father who built a life after war. Today, more than 80 years later, Homer Johnson’s letter gives us a glimpse into a moment when he was far from home, holding onto hope and dreaming of the future. His story reminds us that behind every military record is a person—a person who loved, worried, hoped, and waited. Thank you for joining me for another story of a World War II hero. If you enjoy hearing these remarkable stories and helping preserve the voices of the Greatest Generation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with someone who believes these stories still matter. Every listener helps me continue this mission—bringing lost letters home and reconnecting pieces of history with the families who have been waiting for them.  Because history is not just found in textbooks. Sometimes it is tucked away in a box in an attic, written on a fragile piece of paper, and waiting decades for someone to finally listen.

    Cpl Homer Harry Johnson, US Army

  4. Jul 26

    S2 Roger Scott Hertz, US Navy 48th Construction Battalion SeaBees

    In this episode of War and Family Letters Home, hear the story of S/2 Roger Scott Hertz, US Navy.  Enlisted on his 18th birthday and just 19 years old when he deployed for the Pacific theater of war. Please take a moment to list to his story and honor his service. During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War. Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the servicemen or families, please reach out to me at and help me get the letters home

    S2 Roger Scott Hertz, US Navy 48th Construction Battalion SeaBees

  5. Jul 19

    Pvt. Coy Lee Padgett, USMC 5th Division KIA Iwo Jima March 7, 1945

    In this episode of War and Family Letters Home, we remember Pvt. Coy Lee Padgett, USMC, who was killed in action on Iwo Jima on March 7, 1945. His story reflects the courage of a generation and the enduring promise to remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation. During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War. Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the servicemen or families, please reach out to me at and help me get the letters home

    Pvt. Coy Lee Padgett, USMC 5th Division KIA Iwo Jima March 7, 1945

  6. Jul 4

    PFC Rhoades F. Sawyer, US Army, 112th Infantry

    In this episode, we follow the remarkable journey of PFC Rhoades Ferguson Sawyer of Company I, 112th Infantry Regiment, from his childhood in Massachusetts to the brutal battlefields of the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. Through a letter he wrote home in April 1945, we gain a rare glimpse into the daily life, hardships, and quiet humor of an American infantryman nearing the end of the war. After surviving some of the fiercest combat in Europe, Sawyer returned home to build a life of service as a forester, husband, and father—leaving behind a legacy of courage, resilience, and sacrifice that deserves to be remembered. Welcome to War and Family: Letters Home.  I am your Podcast Host/ Lauren Muise More than eighty years ago, members of the Greatest Generation sat down with pen and paper to write home from training camps, ships at sea, foxholes, air bases, and distant battlefields. Most never imagined those letters would survive long after the war ended. But some did. They surface today in antique stores, estate sales, and auctions—small pieces of history separated from the families who once treasured them. They are personal stories of the men and women of WW2, whose words somehow survived the decades. These letters belong back to their families and that is what this podcast is about!  – maybe this letter was meant for you!

    PFC Rhoades F. Sawyer, US Army, 112th Infantry

  7. Jun 27

    Cpl James Edwin Gledhill, US Army AirCorp, 21st Weather Squadron - LETTER SENT HOME!

    Welcome to War and Family Letters Home. For most people, the weather is simply something we complain about. For Corporal James Gledhill and the men of the 21st Weather Squadron, it was a weapon, a lifesaving tool, and sometimes the deciding factor in history itself. Their forecasts helped determine when armies would move, when aircraft would fly, and ultimately when the liberation of Europe could begin. And thanks to one simple V-mail letter, we have the opportunity to remember not only the man who wrote it, but the remarkable—and often overlooked—unit in which he served. More than eighty years ago, members of the Greatest Generation sat down with pen and paper to write home from training camps, ships at sea, foxholes, air bases, and distant battlefields. Most never imagined those letters would survive long after the war ended. But some did. They surface today in antique stores, estate sales, and auctions—small pieces of history separated from the families who once treasured them. They are personal stories of the men and women of WW2, whose words somehow survived the decades. These letters belong back to their families and that is what this podcast is about!  – maybe this letter was meant for you!

    Cpl James Edwin Gledhill, US Army AirCorp, 21st Weather Squadron - LETTER SENT HOME!

  8. Jun 7

    Sgt Norman E Beck, US Army, 195th Truck Company China-Burma-India

    Sergeant Norman E. Beck. From a boy growing up in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania… to a National Guardsman called into federal service… to a soldier living in bamboo huts deep in the jungles of Assam, helping build one of the most important supply routes of World War II. Welcome to War and Family: Letters Home.  I am your Podcast Host/ Lauren Muise More than eighty years ago, members of the Greatest Generation sat down with pen and paper to write home from training camps, ships at sea, foxholes, air bases, and distant battlefields. Most never imagined those letters would survive long after the war ended. But some did. They surface today in antique stores, estate sales, and auctions—small pieces of history separated from the families who once treasured them. These are not just military records or casualty statistics. They are personal stories of the men and women of WW2, whose words somehow survived the decades. These letters belong back to their families – maybe this letter was meant for you!

    Sgt Norman E Beck, US Army, 195th Truck Company China-Burma-India
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About

War and Family:Letters Home What if a letter your grandfather wrote—one you never even knew existed—suddenly turned up in the world? That’s what this podcast is about: real letters written home by U.S. servicemen and women during World War II. Each one is a time capsule, carrying the voice of someone far from home, writing from a foxhole, a bunk, a ship, or a field hospital. My mission is simple: to bring these voices back to the families they belong to—one letter, one story at a time.  And who knows? Maybe today, you’ll hear a familiar name or a place. Maybe this letter was meant for you. During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War. Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the soldiers or families, please reach out to me at warandfamily@outlook.com and help me get the letters home Visit us also on Facebook! War and Family, Letters Home https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090294016439&mibextid=LQQJ4d Thank you for listening!

Information

  • Creator
    Lauren Muise
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    110
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Lauren Muise
  • Show Website
    War and Family: Letters Home