Ellen Hustad transcribed letters written home by her father, Orlie Meskimen,  while he served during WWII. Training at Camp Claiborne in Louisiana, then serving in Africa and Italy, Ellen's father's letters tell the story of a small town Iowa boy who matured into a soldier and a leader, rising to the rank of 1st Sergeant. Ellen is the youngest of Orlie Meskimen's five children. He passed when she was 13 years old, so having the opportunity to read and transcribe the letters written long before she was born was a true journey of discovery and a bittersweet labor of love. Ellen is retired from Madison Area Technical College and happily resides in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, with her husband Jeff.