"Greetings from the Persian Gulft Command!" wrote Helen Stringer, a '33 graduate of St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago, to Sister Laura during World War II.
Helen was serving during the war effort as part of the USO shows, bringing cheer and entertainment to troops across the globe. She had taken the time to write to Sister, saying, "There's a tremendous satisfaction in this sort of work, and I love every minute of it. If you could hear these fellows laugh and see the genuine enjoyment they derive from the entertainment, you would know how much anything from home means to them."
She also acknowledges the tough times in her letter to Sister Laura (pictured). "Some of them have been stuck in Asia and Africa two to three years, and morale is pretty low." Little did Helen or the troops know that just a few months from the time of her letter, victory would be declared and the war would soon come to an end.
We found this story in an old copy of The Raven, St. Scholastica's student newspaper. Lynne Farmer, former administrator at St. Scholastica Academy, found the newspaper among the belongings of her mother-in-law, Mary Ann Fallon Farmer, Class of 1945. We are grateful that Mary Ann saved this news all these years, offering us a memory during this 70th anniversary of the end of the war.
On Veteran's Day (November 11) this week, we remember all those who have served in the military. We also pray for peace so that no more lives are lost to violence. Here's to Helen Stringer and all our other graduates who have served our country in so many ways.