[Transcript]

When  I first opened the boxes in the spring, I knew there was a project to be had. Upon further inspection, the smell of 1944 permeated the room. Though I only had five minutes to spare with the materials, I was in awe by what I had seen. This was just the start of a project that would push me to the precipice of understanding another’s experiences with love, life, and the trauma of war.

When I re-entered the archives in early June, I was a tad overwhelmed with the sheer size of the unprocessed collection. I spent the week first sifting through the boxes and taking notes. It was in the third box that I found the letters written between John and his future wife, Ayleen. As I gently opened every envelope, it was always a surprise to see what story was to be scrawled on the fragile paper next. Sometimes in pen, mostly in pencil, I could always tell how John was doing based on the writing material even before even reading the letter. The letters were certainly a form of escapism for the both of them. Though it only happened minimally, the censor did cut out sensitive words such as locations and time, forever lost to history. However, places such as “Somewhere in France” and “God-knows-where in Germany” managed to survive the censor’s blade and scissors.  

Once I had gathered the locations that were meaningful to John and Ayleen, I set off for Akron, Ohio. As I ate breakfast at an Einstein Bros. Bagel shop, I peered past my coffee to see a gentleman reading the morning’s edition of the Akron Beacon Journal. The last time I had seen the newspaper, it was a clipping from 1945 of John and his brother Charles when they had returned home from war. My day of research was off to a great start. Visiting the aging Firestone plant and the ranch-style dreamhouse that they built was an amazing opportunity. I finished my trip with a visit to the wonderful Akron-Summit County Public Library.

To gain insight into the world of John and Ayleen, I made sure to read as much as possible to mentally recreate the world they knew. The three most influential books that I read were Paul Fussell’s The Boys’ Crusade, Emily Yellin’s Our Mothers’ War, and Bill Mauldin’s Up Front. These volumes truly helped form the basis of what I wanted this project to be. The mission of this project was to mainly tell the story of John and Ayleen Stenger and to display how war radiates to those not even on the frontline. I found that within an everyday life history, there is something extraordinary. When constructing the website, I soon realized that I was a historian rather than a web designer for a reason. However, through perseverance, I hope you enjoy the website.