Without two young men who went to war in the 40’s my family would not be here. Both of my grandfathers were in WW2 and because of the war, they met my grandmothers. Voila – flash forward – two huge families and lots of great memories that outshine the horrors that they must have endured for us.

Ralph Voit served in the Pacific on USS Rocky Mount as an aid to the captain. His rank, Ensign 2nd Class and he served for 6 years in the navy until the war was over. One of his bunk mates was my grandmother Helen’s brothers and they became “pen pals” only to fall in love and married in October 1947 after he returned home. They were married almost 63 years before she passed away in 2011. He will be 90 this weekend.

Bill Janton served in the Army but was injured during training; not released for active duty, they moved him to a position as disc jockey and then the Army base band. He had finished a year at Villanova as a Math major, but after he was drafted (even though the war was over by then) he decided his true passion was music. Nova didn’t want him as a music major, but University of Michigan did, which is where he met and married Anne. They were married after graduation (like nearly immediately June 1950) and were together until she passed in 2004.

I am not a fan of war – I can’t say that anyone is – but on Veteran’s Day, I have to say I appreciate that one terrible great war created a long legacy of family and for that I am truly grateful. I only wish that we could find and create many more great families like ours and save others from being devastated.

Thank you for your service – I wish you hadn’t had to do it.

Love, Dawn aka Hat Girl