Voices: Letters from World War II

This is the story of World War II told in the voices of the people who bought victory with their blood, sweat, and tears. They fought in Anzio and Atlanta, New Guinea and New Mexico, in Fortresses and factories. They came from every walk of life and served in every capacity. They held front lines and assembly lines, suffered loss and celebrated victory, buried their dead and birthed a new generation.

These excerpts from more than a thousand letters reveal the war from the horror of Pearl Harbor to VJ Day and happy homecomings. The view from the foxhole presents a very different picture of war . . . the smell of death, the lucky break that spares one and kills another, the tedium and terror in the life of the common soldier just trying to stay alive.

Underlying every story is the soldiers' pride in being an American and their dedication to the cause of saving the world. This is the Greatest Generation in their own words.