About me

Enations
A collection of poetry

Life Forms on Mars
A short story

Home page

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The War Years

In the beginning

Letters from Home
A recreation of life in Guadalupe, California in 1944 from comments in letters by my mom to my dad and from personal memories. To be added later.

The 165 days in the combat zone, Luzon, The Philippines, 1945. A limited recreation of what my dad faced and experienced from whatever comments I can find in letters from him to my mom and from a few memories of comments he made about his war experiences.

Letters from home

Letters to home

The Souvenirs of War

Images after the war

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Images from before World War II

A young couple

Newly wedded

Graduation Photo

Father and Jerry, late March 1944

The young Copelands, late March 1944

 Either during their freshman year (1938-1939) or during their sophomore year (1939-1940) at Stidham High School (see images below), my mother first noticed my dad's curly hair while sitting behind him in Algebra, even though she was somewhat put off by his rather rascally appearance. Yet as Christmas 1940 approached during their junior year, Marshall began to woo Leora Morrison and by hapstance drew her name for the class's Christmas party. His gift to her was a 25 cent necklace. (Possibly an entire day of labor was needed to make 25 cents-probably pulling cotton.)

Despite the fact my mother was bashful, apparently the relationship grew and my dad proposed to her (probably in late 1941) after they made a trip to New Mexico, probably to visit a brother of my dad's father who was ill (and possibly dying?). The wedding occurred on March 21, 1942.

Two months later, in May 1942, my parents graduated. After graduation life took a profound change when the Copelands moved out to California. There while settling in at Guadalupe, California, Jerry Wayne was borned at year's end. Unfortunately, due to a combination of genetic inclination and nutritional deficients (Vitamin B-complex, notably B-12 and Folic Acid), he was borned with a severe birth defect, a bilateral cleft lip and palate, necessitating a continuing hospitalization to deal with these major health issues.

Subsequently, on March 23, 1944, my brother, Michael Ray, was borned, a normal and healthy child. Having been hired on at the California Pine Box Company as a framer, my dad provided for his young and growing family. However, he received his induction papers in June 1944 and reported for duty in August 1944.

Leora Morrison, 1938

Frankie Pearl Copeland with Marshall
1938 or 1939

July 2, 2007

© Jerry Copeland

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