Letters in a box

the long version

On December 8, 1941 Bob Stone sat in his dorm room at Williams College listening to FDR's speech about Pearl Harbor and decided to enlist in the Army Air Forces. He wrote over 150 letters home to his Dad and family that chronicle his journey from his enlistment through 40 combat missions as a bombardier in the South Pacific. Eight members of the family were involved in the war effort at home and overseas and four fought for Iwo Jima: one from the sea, one from the air, two on the beaches, while a fifth fought in the Battle of the Bulge. These were two of the deadliest battles of World War II. Bob's journey from 1942-1945 is told through his letters, scrapbooks, photos, and first-hand memories. As we lose the last of our World War II veterans we need to preserve and respect these memories now-- or the sacrifices they made to ensure our freedom will be lost forever.