Book Description

In the days following Paul Chapline's death in 2012, his six children discovered over 100 letters his mother had kept since World War II. They were written from boot camp in San Diego, from his ships in the Pacific, and from occupied Japan immediately after the war. Paul was only seventeen when he enlisted in the Navy in 1942. His letters provide a fascinating first-person account of a son's deep love and devotion for his mother and sister, his deep sense of responsibility, and his thoughts about both family and war. His mother Lilly, as did many women during the war, had very little money, and worked in a shipyard, building destroyer escorts in Houston. The book also contains many related background stories, including details of Paul's service in the Pacific based on National Archives research, San Diego during the war, and the Brown Shipbuilding Company in Houston.