Remembering the Boys

A Collection of Letters, A Gathering of Memories

Lynna Piekutowski

Remembering the Boys brings to life the correspondence of Western Reserve Academy alumni serving in World War II. In these eloquent letters, most of them written to the Academy’s headmaster, Joel Hayden, the story of the loneliness of war is told by the men serving on the front lines as well as by those waiting anxiously at home in Hudson, Ohio.

Alumni of the distinguished prep school wrote of the boredom, hardships, and dangers of military life. Meanwhile, the student and staff lead a lively, active ware effort dedicated to supporting their classmates (and eleven of their teachers) fighting overseas. Under the leadership of headmaster Joel B. Hayden, a patriotic WRA modified its curriculum to accommodate early graduation for those approaching draft age and turned over its machine shop classes to fulfill war contracts for local companies.

Illustrating these letters is a wealth of photographs of the men and boys of Western Reserve Academy. With clippings from the Reserve Record, the Alumni Record, and local newspapers as well, Remembering the Boys poignantly captures that extraordinary time and place.