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Helena Rodgaard, now living in Burke, Virginia, served as a private in the British Army for four years and was part of the Army Territorial Service (ATS), the British Army Reserve.

Photo by Cpl. Kemerly Espinoza

Non Solum… Semper Memorata (Not alone… always remembered)

18 Dec 2015 | Cpl. Kemerly Espinoza Marine Corps Base Quantico

You are encouraged to correspond with these veterans by sending a simple small greeting on a postcard or in a letter.


If you wish to participate direct correspondence to:
The veteran’s name
C/O Heatherwood Activities
9642 Burke Lake Rd.
Burke, Virginia 22015




Frank Dittman

Frank served in the Navy from 1944–1946. He was stationed in the Pacific and served on the PA45/USS Henrico as an electronic technician during WWII.

He was deferred from the draft due to his research at Cornell on synthetic rubber, which was sponsored by the government.

During a one week leave after school, Frank met his wife at a teacher’s party. They wrote letters during his time in the service. He got out of the Navy, returned home in October of 1946 and proposed to his wife in November. The happy couple were married in December. They went to New York for their honeymoon where they saw a different Broadway play every night.




Tom Rogers

Tom served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, as well as in the Air Force, from which he retired as a chief master sergeant. He began his military career at Mitchel Field, where he had basic training. He then transferred to Illinois for tech school and traveled overseas to England.

During his career in the military, Rogers maintained fighter aircraft P47s and P51s doing heavy maintenance.

As part of the 4th Fighter Group, also called the “Flying Eagle Squadron” and “The Debden Warbirds,” they retrieved shot-down aircraft and completed major repairs.

The 4th Fighter Group also shot-down and/or destroyed 1,300 aircraft and escorted bombers to Berlin, and many to Russia, on round trip.




Helena Rodgaard

Helena Rodgaard, now living in Burke, Virginia, served as a private in the British Army for four years and was part of the Army Territorial Service (ATS), the British Army Reserve.

She was a driver and served with three Anti-Aircraft Gun Batteries of the Royal Artillery.

Helena’s duty stations were Belfast, County Antrim Northern Ireland; Haling Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire England; and Wokingham, Berkshire England.

Her last duty station was with the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) as a driver in a motor pool in Stafford, Staffordshire England.


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