Love Always, Alice A Story of Faith and Service Behind the Front Line of World War II

Alice was a naive young nurse who made an extraordinary choice to join the Army to aid in the war effort during World War II. After completing military training, she signed up for deployment to go overseas with the 45th Evacuation Hospital. For seven months, Alice and the 45th evac prepared and practiced in England for treating front line casualties. Tensions were high for medical personnel and civilians alike, waiting for the invasion to begin.

Then on June 6, 1944, after Alice had gone to bed for the night, she heard such tremendous noise outside. She went to her bedroom window and was amazed by the sight of hundreds and hundreds of low flying planes with their red and green lights illuminated against the dark sky. Alice was awestruck by the sight. She was awakened again, several hours later. The planes were flying back, but much higher in the sky. Alice had witnessed the Allied forces invading western Europe and didn't even realize it!

Follow Alice's story, in her own words, from her letters written home and her memoir. Her journey will take you from a foxhole on Omaha beach on D-10, through France and Belgium and into Germany following the First Army. Alice's resolve and her faith in God and humanity would be tested over and over as casualties were brought from the front line of battle. She had thought she had seen the worst of what Hitler's regime could do. Then they came upon Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

Mary Matthews Fetterman grew up in Malvern, Pennsylvania, down the street from the Paoli Memorial Grounds. She has been documenting her family's history for the past decade. She learned her appreciation of American history from her fifth grade teacher, Josiah Hibberd, who took his students on field trips to Gettysburg, Valley Forge and the Brandywine Battlefield.
Mary is a mother of two sons, Andrew and Kevin and grandmother to granddaughter Lulu. She is an avid gardener and stained glass artist. Mary lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her husband, Jim and their dog Max. Captain Alice J. Matthews was a U.S. Army nurse from 1941-1946. She served in the 45th Evacuation Hospital in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.