Photo: Courtesy of the Adkins family
Malchi Adkins snapped this undated photo of John Archer of the 320th Battalion.
Jessie Prior
Abersychan, Wales
Jessie Prior became a surrogate mother to Wilson Monk of Atlantic City, welcoming the 320th GI into her home and starting a correspondence with Monk’s mother, Rosita, that would outlast the war.
Mrs. Monk, you have a son to treasure, and feel very proud of. We love him very dearly, and will do anything in the world for him, all we regret is we cannot have him home more, but duties won’t allow, he does come as often as possible. We have told him he can look upon our home as his home while in our country, and I will try to fill your place, if only in a small way. But don’t worry too much about him, while he is here, we shall take very every care of him, if ever he is ill, or in any way wanting us, we shall be there, we look upon him now as our own.
Mother to mother,
Very sincerely with loving thoughts,
Jessie Prior xxxxxx
Jessie Prior in Wales became a second mother to Wilson Monk and began a correspondence with his mother that would endure after the war.
Photo: Courtesy of the Prior family
Wilson Monk spent most Sundays with the Prior family at their house on Old Lane in Abersychan, Wales.
Photo: Linda Hervieux
Jessie Prior’s only son, Keith (far right), was off at war when Wilson Monk arrived in Wales.
Photo: Courtesy of the Prior family
Robert Capa
Legendary war photographer Robert Capa shot the cover photo for FORGOTTEN on Omaha Beach a few days after D-Day. Troops are pictured crossing the beach with barrage balloons floating in the background. Those balloons were flown by the men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion.