Julie Peitz Nickell: A letter home from my uncle serving in North Africa resurfaces 79 years later

It is vitally important we honor and remember the military men and women who lost their lives while serving our country. They gave everything they had.

Most of us never have to face that proposition.

We surely can give up a moment from shopping, watching television, or texting.

Attend a service or ceremony.

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Place flowers on the grave, leave a penny, or, if you are lucky enough to have your veteran with you, hug them and remember they won't be around forever.

Or write a letter to your military currently serving, as letters from home mean everything.

I have a veteran family member who was able to return home to West Point from World War II, who I miss terribly, because he's now gone.

I started in on a good cry when I began writing this, remembering my Uncle Vin, who pretended to eat my toes when I was little and made me giggle.

He was quiet, kind, hard-working and generous. He stopped by to visit just about every day.

I know little about his service in the Army Air Force except I recall my dad telling me that he was awarded the Soldier's Medal.

Sgt. Vincent B. Peitz was assigned to the 301st Bomb Group 352nd Squadron of the Army Air Force. He was awarded the Soldier's Medal on Nov. 10, 1943.

According to my dad, a plane loaded with bombs caught fire and my uncle ran inside with a fire extinguisher and put out the blaze, saving very many lives.

It's not a subject my uncle would bring up, or want to talk much about, but my proud father, his little brother, would eventually join the Air Force himself, like Vin and some other brothers.

Forever after, Dad, he of the beer can and the cigarette, upon seeing a military plane while watching television, would yell out to you what kind of plane it was.

"That's a B-47!," etc.

The excitement of seeing an airplane on TV never waned.

(Does your Air Force veteran do that?)

Anyway, sometimes the internet, or social media, Facebook in this case, yields a special treasure that you didn't know existed, and such a thing recently happened when a letter Uncle Vin sent to my grandparents in 1943, and then was published in the West Point Bee, appeared in my feed.

I imagine my proud grandmother walked the letter over to the newspaper office.

A wonderful, kind woman, Debbie Harmeyer Spengler, has been putting old West Point Bee items onto the West Point, Iowa Friends and Memories Facebook page to the great delight of many present and former residents, who now are able to read long-forgotten news about family, friends and townsfolk.

I am going to share my uncle's letter, written pretty much in a matter-of-fact manner.

It's a bit of a view into war circumstances and what was happening at the time, and, for me, an unexpected delight to have been able to read, 79 years later.

In North Africa, where Uncle Vin was, British and American forces had defeated the Italians and Germans by 1943.

After that, the Allies invaded Sicily and Italy, and Mussolini's government fell in July 1943. Allied fighting against the Germans in Italy continued until 1945.

I had to look it up, but I understand when Uncle Vin speaks of "Jerrys," he is referring to Germans in World War II lingo.

Written May 31, 1943, North Africa.

Published in the West Point Bee on July 14, 1943.

"Dear Mother:

Today is pay day. How time flies. It makes me feel that sometimes too much time passes between my letters to you.

Since the campaign here is ended we are allowed to tell a few of our experiences and cities we have visited.

I will say that I haven't regretted my time spent here as I've seen places I've read and heard about but never expected to see.

I've visited in Oran, Algiers, Sitiff, Constantine, Tunis and flew over Bizerte, Sousse, Sfax and have seen the damage that the very plane I was riding in had helped create.

When we first came to Africa, I was on detached service at a depot, doing engine change and repair work that couldn't be done at our own squadron.

I then flew on a transport and joined my outfit again.

At that time our outfit had been bombed a few times but with only slight damage.

After the fall of Tunis and Bizerte I was lucky to be able to be on one of the first few planes to land at Tunis.

We saw the damage that had been done there. There were lots of German and Italian planes and equipment there including M.E. 109's, J.U. 88's and 87's and 6 engine transports.

When we left Tunis we flew over Bizerte Souse, Sfax and saw ships that were sunk in the harbors and lots of enemy aircraft that had been shot down.

I've seen lots of Jerry and Italian prisoners pass there on trains and they seem happy that it is over for them.

They all seem to want to go to the good old U.S.A. I envy them because lots of them will probably go there, too.

I've picked up a few souvenirs, including a Jerry canteen, plane parts, etc.

I haven't been getting much mail lately but I guess I had better write a little more myself if I expect to receive any.

I'll have to close for tonight as it is almost 11 o'clock.

Give my love and regards to everyone, will you?"

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Julie Peitz Nickell: Take time to honor our veterans this Memorial Day