Prologue

This blog is a tribute to my late grandfather, Anthony J. Curcio (b. 6/3/1923, d. 2/5/1955), who fought in WWII. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He initially joined the army, and he was part of the air corps and was training to be a draftsman. But when the US entered the war, he became part of the 11th Armored Division, 22 Tank Battalion, Company B. He met my grandmother, Mary Helen Riley, in 1943 while stationed at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, MO. As soon as he left home (January 1943), he started writing his mother, Helen Curcio, and then when he met my grandmother, Helen Riley, he began writing her as well. He wrote them both until his mother died in October 1945. He and my grandmother married in February of 1946. They had 4 children together (including my mother) before my grandfather died in 1955.  Since they are both named Helen and "Dearest Helen" is how he addresses most of the letters to my grandmother, I decided to call the blog "Dearest Helen." I plan to post his letters 66 years after he wrote them on the day he wrote them. He words will be in italics, and if I have any comments they will be in regular font. I hope you enjoy his letters as much as I do. Since I never knew him, it gives me insight, not only into WWII, but also my grandfather, my grandmother, and my great-grandparents.