A Thousand Letters Away is a compelling story of one soldier's observations of life with the 332nd Engineer Regiment during World War II. SGT Alan Latta wrote a letter to his wife, Helen, nearly every day, from his induction in May of 1942 until his discharge in July of 1945. His correspondence paints a rich and colorful portrait of the men in Company F. In addition, events from a unit history, Bridging to Victory, provide accurate and detailed background of their wartime experiences. This book allows a reader to follow one squad through World War II. It provides the examples of ordinary men who were propelled to heroism by the epic War. One feels the struggle, the adventure, the humor, and the sadness that accompany them through three long years. Alan Latta's poignant observations reveal great intuition for a man with limited academic education. His insights came from the education of making his own way as a child. His values were forged during the grief and heartbreak of losing his farm to the Great while maintaining hope and patriotism. This book lets the reader experience the world and the War through the eyes of young man who had never been outside of Iowa. He tells of seeing a segregated South before traveling to Scotland and Great Britain. He is amazed by the thousands of years of history and the strength of the "Brits." His adventures of experiencing Britain are complete with refreshing and often humorous examples. The 332nd landed at Utah Beach during Operation Overlord. They secured Cherbourg Harbor and served as Patton's bridging unit through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and finally Germany. He experienced the carnage that grew worse each month. During the winter of the Battle of the Bulge he described "taking shoes from the stiffs" and killing a man with a bayonet. At one point he grew so despondent he didn't know if he could come home since he could "no longer remember anybody's name." The 332nd liberated one death camp and he was stunned by the inhumanity. Later when he moved into a burned out house in Germany, he saw a doll in the rubble and could smell the dead. He wondered if we were not as inhumane as the Germans. Alan Latta returned home in July of 1945. He hitched a ride from Illinois and finally walked unannounced to his home in Lone Tree. Helen did not recognize him at first. She remembered his strong gait and now he limped noticeably from his wounds during the "Bulge." This story was shared with forty survivors at a Reunion of the 332nd Engineers in 1998. Later many of these men reported that the book told it "exactly like it was." That is not surprising since it is an eyewitness account.
