When I Return
“When I Return… is an incredible story in its simplicity and amazing ability to take you back in time to 1944. If you, or anyone you know, is a WWII buff, you must read this book! But it is not for World War buffs alone. Nauss’ letters to his fiancée, Mer, are full of wit, intelligence, longing, and humor. I was constantly stopping and reading parts aloud to my husband and children because these were funny, touching, or vastly interesting. I loved his descriptions of comic events that occurred, especially the “daring trip” to San Antonio and the tarantula incident in Saipan! Nauss’ ingenuity is impressive as well. Ultimately, When I Return… pulls aside the curtain of time and offers you a glimpse into history.”-Readers Favorite
Follow this G.I.’s travels via his letters during his World War II wartime experiences, all the while pining for his fiancée back in Baltimore, Maryland. When I Return…. allows the reader to look into his varied military training: from basic training to his day-to-day experiences while stationed on the island of Saipan in the Pacific in September, 1945, shortly after the Battle of Saipan. An amateur photographer, Allen and his two buddies set up a thriving side business on Saipan processing their own and other G.I.’s photos. They accumulated a fascinating collection of photos, some of which have been included in the book.
About Allen H. Nauss (Baltimore, Maryland Author)
Allen grew up in Baltimore, the son of a metalurgist and a homemaker. He attended the University of Maryland and later the University of Maryland as a law student. As a young man he developed an interest in photography. He enlisted in 1941 in the Army Air Corps and subsequently in the Army. Although trained in several specialties, he spent his overseas duty in Saipan heading a truck tire operation with Koreans who had been former Japanese prisoners. His interest in photography led to a side business developing photos for GI’s stationed on Saipan. He returned home, married, worked as a purchasing agent, and had a daughter and son. He died shortly after his retirement in 1983 at the age of 64.
About Christine Simmons (Co-Author)
Christine “Tina” N. Simmons has authored a number of local genealogy reference books. Researching her father’s military history, she was told, like many others, that his military records had been burned in the St. Louis, Missouri fire. Several years later she repeated the process and was surprised to receive a large stack of copies of slightly burned records including a trove of information about her father. Tina’s family includes a son and grown grandson. Tina currently makes her home in Odenton, Maryland.